# Esk

> English word · Proper noun · IPA /ɛsk/ · frequency rank #60,064

## Definitions
1. A locality in the Clarence Valley council area and the Richmond Valley council area, north eastern New South Wales, Australia.
2. A river in North Yorkshire, England that flows through Eskdale to Whitby.
3. A river in Cumbria, England, which also flows through Eskdale, and into the Irish Sea.
4. A river in Dumfries and Galloway council area, Scotland, which crosses the border into Cumbria, England, before flowing into Solway Firth.
5. A river mostly in East Lothian council area, Scotland, its branches North Esk and South Esk are in Midlothian.

## Etymology
Possibly derived from Proto-Brythonic *Uɨsk, a river name perhaps originally meaning "abundant in fish". Cognate to the river names Axe, Exe, and Usk.
Another possibility, suggested for the North and South Esk, is derivation from a Brythonic/Celtic word for water; compare Scottish Gaelic uisge (“water, river”).

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/esk