funk
English
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -ʌŋk
Etymology 1
From Middle English funke, fonke (“spark”), from Old English *funca, *fanca (“spark”), from Proto-Germanic *funkô, *fankô (“spark”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peng-, *(s)pheng- (“to shine”). Cognate with Middle Low German funke, fanke (“spark”), Middle Dutch vonke (“spark”), Old High German funcho, funko (“spark”), German Funke (“spark”). More at spunk.
Noun
funk (plural funks)
Translations
Etymology 2
1743, Scottish and Northern English dialectal word, originally a verb meaning "to panic, fail due to panic". Perhaps from or cognate with obsolete Dutch fonck (“distress, agitation”), from Middle Dutch fonck (“perturbation, agitation”). More at flunk.
Noun
funk (countable and uncountable; plural funks)
- (countable) mental depression
- (uncountable) A state of fear or panic, especially cowardly
Translations
Verb
funk (third-person singular simple present funks, present participle funking, simple past and past participle funked)
- To shrink from, or avoid something because of fear
- (Can we find and add a quotation of C. Kingsley to this entry?)
Translations
Etymology 3
1620, from French dialectal (Norman) funquer, funquier (“to smoke, reek”), from Old Northern French fungier (“to smoke”), from Vulgar Latin fūmicāre, alteration of Latin fūmigāre (“to smoke, fumigate”). Related to French dialect funkière (“smoke”). More at fumigate.
Noun
funk (countable and uncountable; plural funks)
- (countable) Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odour.
- (uncountable) Music that combines traditional forms of black music (as blues, gospel, or soul) and is characterized by a strong backbeat.
Derived terms
Translations
Verb
funk (third-person singular simple present funks, present participle funking, simple past and past participle funked)
- (intransitive) To emit an offensive smell; to stink.