/ fəʊk; NAmE foʊk/ noun , adjective
■ noun
1.
(also folks especially in NAmE ) [ pl. ] ( informal ) people in general :
ordinary working-class folk
I'd like a job working with old folk or kids.
the folks back home (= from the place where you come from)
2.
folks [ pl. ] ( informal ) a friendly way of addressing more than one person :
Well, folks, what are we going to do today?
3.
folks [ pl. ] ( informal , especially NAmE ) the members of your family, especially your parents :
How are your folks?
4.
[ pl. ] people from a particular country or region, or who have a particular way of life :
country folk
townsfolk
farming folk
5.
(also ˈfolk music ) [ U ] music in the traditional style of a country or community :
a folk festival / concert
■ adjective [ only before noun ]
1.
( of art, culture, etc. ) traditional and typical of the ordinary people of a country or community :
folk art
a folk museum
2.
based on the beliefs of ordinary people :
folk wisdom
Garlic is widely used in Chinese folk medicine.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English folc , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch volk and German Volk .