/ fʌŋk; NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun
1.
[ U ] a type of modern dance music with a strong rhythm
2.
(also ˌblue ˈfunk ) [ sing. ] ( old-fashioned , informal ) a state of fear or anxiety
3.
[ C , usually sing. ] ( NAmE ) a strong unpleasant smell
■ verb
[ vn ] ( BrE , informal ) to avoid doing sth because you are afraid to or find it difficult
For more information see the Cultural Guide
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WORD ORIGIN
verb mid 18th cent. (first recorded as Oxford University slang): perhaps from funk in the slang sense tobacco smoke , or from obsolete Flemish fonck disturbance, agitation.
noun early 17th cent. (in the sense musty smell ): perhaps from French dialect funkier blow smoke on, based on Latin fumus smoke.