noun

1. a bird's bill, esp. the large, sharp, horny bill of a bird of prey
2. a beaklike part or thing, as the protruding mouthpart of various insects, fishes, etc., or the spout of a pitcher
3. the metal-covered ram projecting from the prow of an ancient warship
4. Slang the nose, esp. if large and hooked
5. Archit. the outward-sloping upper surface of the drip of a cornice, by which water is directed away from the wall beneath

Etymology: ME bek < OFr bec < L beccus < Gaul