orc

Meaning

Noun

• Any of several large, ferocious sea creatures, now especially the killer whale.
• A mythical evil monstrous humanoid creature, occasionally porcine, usually quite aggressive and often green.

Related

Broader meaning words

• greenskin

Origin

• From Middle French orque, Italian orca, and their source, Latin orca ("type of whale").
• Probably from Italian orco ("man-eating giant"); later revived by J. R. R. Tolkien, partly after Old English orc ("demon"); both from Latin Orcus ("the underworld; the god Pluto"). ogre.