beak
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beak
(bēk),1. The nose of pliers used in dentistry for contouring and adjusting wrought or cast metal dental appliances.
2. Sometimes used to describe a beak-shaped anatomic structure.
[L. beccus]
beak
(bēk)n.
a. The bill of a bird, especially one that is strong and curved, such as that of a hawk or a finch.
b. A similar structure in other animals, such as turtles, insects, or fish.
beaked (bēkt) adj.
beak
1 any pointed anatomical structure, such as the beak of the sphenoid bone.
2 a pair of dental pincers used in shaping prostheses.
3 a radiographic image of a bony protuberance adjacent to a degenerative intervertebral disk.
beak
- (also called bill) the jaws and associated horny covering in a bird or turtle.
- any pointed projection in plant fruits.
- a projecting jawbone in fish such as pike.
- the tip of the UMBO in bivalve molluscs.
- the jaws of a CEPHALOPOD such as the octopus.
beak
(bēk)1. Nose of pliers used in dentistry to contour and adjust wrought or cast metal dental appliances.
2. Sometimes used to describe any beak-shaped anatomic structure.
[L. beccus]
beak
the hard keratinization (or rhamphotheca) which provides the horny covering of the beak bones, plus the beak bones, of birds. The dorsal ridge of the upper beak is the culmen, the similar keel of the lower beak is the gonys. The cutting edges of the beak are the tomia. Called also bill.
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Different shape of beak between species. By permission from Aspinall V, O'Reilly M, Introduction to Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology, Butterworth Heinemann, 2004
beak avulsion
traumatic separation of the upper and lower beak at the base requires hand feeding for survival of the bird. Some attempts at devising an artificial beak have been made, but attachment is a major problem.
beak fracture
occurs with trauma and requires immobilization, often with innovative procedures (see acrylic glue), without restricting food intake by the bird during recovery. Severe trauma may result in avulsion of upper or lower beak.
beak necrosis
a condition of chickens and turkeys caused by excessively fine mashed feeds.
beak overgrowth
can result from malocclusion, liver disease, lack of wear, aging, nutritional deficiency, and most commonly infestation by the mite, Cnemidocoptes pilae.
psittacine beak and feather disease
see psittacine beak and feather disease.
beak sign
the radiographic feature of contrast material extending through an elongated, concentrically narrowed pylorus indicative of hypertrophy of the sphincter.
beak trimming
in most modern poultry houses the chances of cannibalism developing are so high that beak trimming is almost a necessity, especially if the birds are to be reared in full light. Light-restricted accommodation greatly reduces the prevalence of this vice. A temporary trim is done at a few days of age but a permanent trim is necessary later. Special instruments, utilizing a hot, cutting blade cautery, are used and the operation must be done by an expert or badly deformed beaks result and the birds are unable to feed properly. Alternatives to trimming include the fitting of spectacles or pick guards but these are expensive, time-consuming to put on and not feasible for birds in cages.