gherkin
See also: Gherkin
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- gerkin (chiefly archaic)
Etymology edit
From a form of Dutch gurk, an archaic variant of augurk (“small pickled cucumber”), from Low German, from Middle Low German agurke, augurke, probably via Slavic (compare Polish ogórek), from Byzantine Greek ἀγγούριον (angoúrion, “cucumber”). The underlying Dutch form may be a diminutive (gurkijn) or perhaps more probably the plural (gurken), which was then associated with the English suffix -kin (itself incidentally from Dutch or Low German).[1][2] Compare German Gurke.
Pronunciation edit
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɡɝkɪn/
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɡɜːkɪn/
Audio (AU) (file) - Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)kɪn
- Hyphenation: gher‧kin
Noun edit
gherkin (plural gherkins)
- A small cucumber, often pickled whole.
- (UK, Ireland) Pickled cucumber regardless of size; a pickle
- (slang) The penis.
- 2008, E. Lockhart, Fly on the Wall:
- “Even my gherkin is sorry, and it didn't talk shit about anybody," persists Adrian. The edge of Titus's mouth quivers in laughter.
- 2010, Niobia Bryant, Live and Learn:
- “Yes, daddy,” I moaned, lying big-time as his finger played in my sudsy pussy. “Say please,” he ordered, taking my hand to circle around his gherkin.
- 2011, James Herbert Edwards, The Guardian Projects: Book Two, page 241:
- His gherkin was doing the tent dance, and he couldn't have been prouder.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
small cucumber
|
References edit
- ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “gherkin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
- ^ van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “augurk”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute
- Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.