ilk

UK: /ˈɪlk/ US: /ɪlk/ ,(ilk)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

ilk¹ /ɪlk/   n. [countable* usually singular]

1. family, class, group, or kind:
   to distrust politicians and all their ilk.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

ilk¹  (ilk), n. 

1. family, class, or kind:
   he and all his ilk.
2. of that ilk:
   • (in Scotland) of the same family name or place:
     Ross of that ilk,
     i.e., Ross of Ross.
   • of the same class or kind.

adj. 

3. same.

• bef. 900; Middle English ilke, Old English ilca (pronoun) the same, equivalent. to demonstrative i (cognate with Gothic is he, Latin is that) + a reduced form of līc like¹; compare which, such

ilk²  (ilk), [Chiefly Scot.]
pron. 

1. Scottish Terms each.

adj. 

2. Scottish Terms each;
   every.

• Middle English ilk, north variant of ilch, Old English ylc (pronoun) each bef. 900

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

ilk / ɪlk/ noun

1. a type; class; sort (esp in the phrase of that, his, her, etc, ilk): people of that ilk should not be allowed here
2. of that ilk ⇒ of the place of the same name: used to indicate that the person named is proprietor or laird of the place named: Moncrieff of that ilk

Etymology: Old English ilca the same family, same kind; related to Gothic is he, Latin is, Old English gelīc likeUSAGE
Although the use of ilk in the sense of sense 1 is sometimes condemned as being the result of a misunderstanding of the original Scottish expression of that ilk, it is nevertheless well established and generally acceptable