tusk

/təsk/

/təsk/

Other forms: tusks; tusking

A tusk is the long, pointed tooth seen on some animals, such as elephants, walruses, or hogs. Animals that have tusks can use them for protection against predators.

Tusk rhymes with dusk. A tusk is a tooth that grows outward from an animal's mouth. How is a tusk different from a fang? Fangs are used to seize prey and bite and tear. Tusks, on the other hand, are used for defense and even as tools for digging or, in the cause of the walrus, for holding steady while on ice.

Definitions of tusk

1. noun

   a long pointed tooth specialized for fighting or digging; especially in an elephant or walrus or hog
   type of:

   tooth

   hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense
2. noun

   a hard smooth ivory colored dentine that makes up most of the tusks of elephants and walruses
   synonyms: ivory

   type of:

   dentin, dentine

   a calcareous material harder and denser than bone that comprises the bulk of a tooth
3. verb

   stab or pierce with a horn or tusk
   synonyms: horn

   type of:

   pierce, thrust

   penetrate or cut through with a sharp instrument
4. verb

   remove the tusks of animals
   “tusk an elephant”

   synonyms: detusk

   type of:

   remove, take, take away, withdraw

   remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract