Ilk
[ilk]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Old English, 12th century
1.
A type of people or things similar to those already referred to.
Examples of Ilk in a sentence
"Charlene stopped the song to say she loved Billie Eilish and anyone of her ilk."
"My father sought out local artisans and their ilk on his travels."
About Ilk
“Ilk” is a very old word with many roots, among them the Old English “ilca,” meaning “same,” and the Proto-Germanic “ilīkaz,” also meaning “same.”
Did you Know?
The expressions “of that ilk” and “of his ilk” refer to “type” or “sort,” which is the product of a misunderstanding. The expression “of that ilk” originated in Scotland, but the Scottish meaning of the phrase meant “of the same name and place.” Some traditionalists feel, therefore, that English speakers shouldn’t use “of that ilk” to refer to similarities in kind and type. Nonetheless, using “of that ilk” to refer to types and sorts of people or things is part of standard English and is the only common use for the expression today.
