beak:

(plural: ‘beaks‘)

a lower court beak

 

(mainly in British usage) a schoolmaster, especially the head teacher of a school;

(mainly in British usage) a judge in a lower court of law,

“Beak” in this sense, is considered slang usage, and so, not to be used in formal occasions.

a beak at school (a teacher)

 

e.g.

The new beak at our school is a spinster and likes to be known as an authoritarian. (i.e. the new head-teacher is an unmarried middle-aged woman who likes to be very strict in her dealings)

 

The accused was asked to be up before the beak! (i.e. to present himself before a court or judge)

a bird's beak

Note: ‘Beak’ or ‘bill’ is most commonly used for the hard mouth part of a bird, and is also used for a person’s sharp or long nose, and for the projected part of the mouth of certain animals, such as turtles, fish, insects; in addition, it is also used for the tapering projection of certain plant parts, such as seeds and fruit.
Note: ‘Beak’ is often found in the names of people, e.g. Thomas Beak, Daniel Beak, etc.
For some information about how the word beak has come to be used for a judge, please click here: (once the page opens, please scroll down until you reach the entry word ‘beak’).

About the Author:BC Kumar

BC Kumar, an English Language Teacher, taught in numerous countries including Ethiopia, Oman and India, shares his knowledge and passion for the English Language. Disclaimer: This is a free educational website and all content has been compiled by the author. All copyrights to images and videos belong to their respective owners.

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