I. ˈpəŋk noun
( -s )
Etymology: origin unknown; in sense 2, probably partly from punk (III)
1. archaic : prostitute , strumpet
2.
a. : something or someone worthless or inferior
b. : nonsense , bunkum
these flowers are a lot of punk — Roger Williams
punk about feeding tired skins — Books of the Month
3.
a. : a young and inexperienced person : beginner , novice ; especially : a young man : boy
b. : a young gangster, hoodlum, or ruffian : a petty criminal
c. slang : a youth used as a homosexual partner
the young boy, known in prison parlance as a punk — N.K.Teeters & J.O.Reinemann
d. : a young tramp
e. : a stupid, naïve, or foolish person : jerk
4. : a young untrained circus elephant
II. adjective
( -er/-est )
: very poor in quality : bad , inferior , miserable
meanwhile went from poor to punk — Time
looked punk in a bathing suit — D.C.Loughlin
a punk liar — Josephine Johnson
III. noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps alteration (infl. by Delaware punk fine ashes, powder) of spunk
1. : wood that is so decayed as to be very dry, crumbly, and useful for tinder
2. : a dry spongy substance prepared from the sporophores of various fungi of the genus Fomes (especially F. fomentarius and F. igniarius ) by removing the outer rind, slicing and pounding the sporophore until soft and flexible, dipping or sometimes boiling in a solution of potassium nitrate, and then drying and forming into molded sticks that are used to ignite fuses especially of fireworks
3. : the leathery or woody sporophore of a polypore : conch
IV. adjective
1. : having a dry flavorless flesh — used of fruits and vegetables
2. : punky
V. noun
( -er/-est )
1. : punk rock herein
2. : a punk rock musician
3. : one who affects punk styles
• punky ˈpəŋkē adjective
VI. adjective
1. : of or relating to punk rock
2. : relating to or being the styles (as of dress or hair) inspired by punk rock
• punk·ish -ish adjective