orc
orc Lexical Profile
orc Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A member of an imaginary race of brutish, aggressive humanoid creatures featured in fantasy literature and role-playing games, originally popularized by J. R. R. Tolkien.
"In the novel's opening chapter, the travelers must navigate a mountain pass guarded by a watchful band of orcs."
An archaic name for the killer whale (Orcinus orca) or various large marine cetaceans and sea monsters.
"Early Renaissance naturalists and mariners frequently referred to the great toothed whale of the northern seas as an orc."
• Rhymes for orc
Word Origin & Etymology
Derived from Old English 'orcneas' (evil spirits or monsters, attested in 'Beowulf') and reinforced by Italian 'orco' (ogre), both ultimately tracing back to Latin 'Orcus', the Roman god of the underworld. The modern fantasy sense was popularized in the mid-20th century by J. R. R. Tolkien.