ankus means The hooked goad that is used in India to control elephants. Lexicurio rates it Sui generis — a strength score of 90 out of 100.
Why this word is great
ANKUS — [Noun] A hooked goad, often of ornate metal, used for the control and direction of elephants in South Asia. From Hindi अंकुस (aṅkus) or अंकुश (aṅkuś), from Sanskrit अङ्कुश (aṅkuśa, "hook, goad"). Unlike a simple goad—a generic pointed stick for urging livestock—or a blunt prod—an instrument for mere poking—the ankus is a lever of exquisite pressure, its cruel elegance refined for one colossal subject. It is the cold curve of iron polished smooth against a temple elephant's hide, the precise pressure behind the ear that turns a mountain of flesh, the glint of authority in the dust of a royal procession—a small, sharp argument against several tons of living will.
noun
- The hooked goad that is used in India to control elephants.“At last he found something really fascinating laid on the front of a howdah half buried in the coins. It was a three-foot ankus, or elephant-goad—something like a small boathook. The top was one round, shining ruby, and eight inches of the handle below it were studded with rough turquoises close together, giving a most satisfactory grip.”