A small seabird with short wings and a stocky body, found in northern oceans and skilled at diving and swimming.
From Old Norse 'álka' or similar Scandinavian roots. The word entered English from seafaring communities in northern regions.
Auks are absolutely hilarious birds—they waddle on land like drunk penguins but dive underwater like underwater missiles. The great auk, now extinct, was so clumsy on land that it was hunted to extinction literally just by people walking up to them.
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