auk (ôk)n. Any of various diving seabirds of the family Alcidae of northern regions, having a chunky body, short wings, and webbed feet, such as the razorbill and the murres. Also called alcid.[Norwegian alk, from Old Norse ?lka.]American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.auk (??k) n1. (Animals) any of various diving birds of the family Alcidae of northern oceans having a heavy body, short tail, narrow wings, and a black-and-white plumage: order Charadriiformes. See also great auk, razorbill2. (Animals) little auk dovekie a small short-billed auk, Plautus alle, abundant in Arctic regions[C17: from Old Norse ?lka; related to Swedish alka, Danish alke]Collins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014auk (?k) n. any of several small-winged black and white diving birds of the family Alcidae, of northern seas, having webbed feet. Compare great auk. [1665?75;