Link Centre Dictionary

fork

UK/fɔːk/ US/fɔɹk/ fairly common uk
noun (5) verb (4)

noun

1.

cutlery used for serving and eating food

2.

the act of branching out or dividing into branches

Synonyms
3.

a part of a forked or branching shape

  • “he broke off one of the branches”
  • “they took the south fork”
Synonyms
4.

an agricultural tool used for lifting or digging; has a handle and metal prongs

5.

the angle formed by the inner sides of the legs where they join the human trunk

Synonyms

verb

1.

lift with a pitchfork

  • “pitchfork hay”
Synonyms
2.

place under attack with one''s own pieces, of two enemy pieces

3.

divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork

  • “The road forks”
Synonyms
4.

shape like a fork

  • “She forked her fingers”

Origin

From Middle English forke (“digging fork”), from Old English force, forca (“forked instrument used to torture”), from Proto-West Germanic *furkō (“fork”), from Latin furca (“pitchfork, forked stake; gallows, beam, stake, support post, yoke”), of uncertain origin. The Middle English word was later reinforced by Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French forque (= Old French forche whence French fourche), also from the Latin. Doublet of fourche and furcate. Cognate also with North Frisian forck (“fork”), Dutch vork (“fork”), Danish fork (“fork”), German Forke (“pitchfork”). Displaced native gafol, ġeafel, ġeafle (“fork”), from Old English. In its primary sense of “fork”, Latin furca appears to be derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerk(ʷ)-, *ǵʰerg(ʷ)- (“fork”), although the development of the -c- is difficult to explain. In other senses this derivation is unlikely. For these, perhaps it is connected to Proto-Germanic *furkaz, *firkalaz (“stake, stick, pole, post”), from Proto-Indo-European *perg- (“pole, post”). If so, this would relate the word to Old English forclas pl (“bolt”), Old Saxon ferkal (“lock, bolt, bar”), Old Norse forkr (“pole, staff, stick”), Norwegian fork (“stick, bat”), S...

Phrases

  • Ash Fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • barley fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • bent fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • cake fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • carving fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • chip fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • Clear Fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • cocktail fork Some of these are hyponyms (unsorted)
  • dig one's grave with a fork
  • dig one's grave with a fork and spoon
  • fork off
  • fork out

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

See also

Parts

Part of

Related verbs

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.