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What is the difference between moose and elk?

moose | elk |

Elk is a synonym of moose.



In informal terms the difference between moose and elk

is that moose is an ugly person while elk is an Acorn Electron computer.

As nouns the difference between moose and elk

is that moose is the largest member of the deer family (Alces alces), of which the male has very large, palmate antlers while elk is the largest member of the deer family (Alces alces); a moose.

moose

English

Etymology 1

Earlier mus'', ''moos , from a Northeastern (etyl) language name for the animal, such as (etyl) moos, mws (cognate to (etyl) moos, (etyl) mos, (etyl) moz), from , referring to how a moose strips tree bark when feeding. Online Etymology Dictionary

Noun

  • (US) The largest member of the deer family (Alces alces ), of which the male has very large, palmate antlers.
    • We saw a moose at the edge of the woods by the marsh .
  • (informal) An ugly person
    • Usage notes
    * The use of (as with the names of many animals, such as deer and fish, which are also invariant); however, this usage can sometimes be considered stilted when a group of more than one moose are considered individually, in which case avoidance of the plural may be the best option, necessitating the employment of a circumlocution.
    Synonyms
    * (l) (British), (l) (qualifier)
    Derived terms
    * moosebird * moose deer * mooseling * moosey * moose yard * mooseyness
    See also
    * (wikipedia "moose")

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) moes.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (obsolete, rare) A stew.

    • References

    English invariant nouns English irregular plurals English plurals ----

    elk

    English

    Noun

    (en-noun)
  • (British) The largest member of the deer family (Alces alces ); a moose.
  • (North America) The common wapiti (Cervus canadensis ); the second largest member of the deer family, smaller only than a moose. Elk never have flat antlers; moose do.

    • Synonyms

    * (Cervus candensis) wapiti * (Alces alces) moose

    Anagrams

    * ----