Tusker

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A robust male wild boar known for its notable elongated teeth, often representing ferocity and wild strength
2. An adult male elephant distinguished by its extended, curved ivory tusks ; a mature male wild pig characterized by elongated, sharp teeth found prominently on each side of the mouth
3. A mature bull elephant identifiable by its sizable protruding tusks used for defense and digging ; a male boar marked by long, curved canine teeth used in fighting and display

Etymology: Tusker is a plain formation: the noun "tusk" with the agent suffix "-er," meaning something that has or bears tusks. The "tusk" element traces back through Middle English "tusk" and Old English "tūsc" to a Proto-Germanic root that also gave German and Dutch words for the tooth of a boar or other animal. The suffix "-er" came into English from Old French "-ier," which descends from Latin "-ārius," so the word is built from a Germanic root and a Latin-derived ending. Tusker's meaning in English is the narrower one: an animal with tusks, most often an elephant. A male elephant with long tusks is a "tusker," and the word is widely used in East Africa and in older writing about Africa and India in that sense. The boar sense in the entry above is the older and more general use, applied to any tusked animal.

Synonyms: elephant