I. ˈfəŋk noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably of French dialect origin; akin to French dialect (French Flanders) funquer to give off smoke, French dialect (Picardy) funquer, finquer; these from Old North French funkier to give off smoke, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin fumicare, alteration (influenced by such words as Latin communicare to share, impart, communicate) of Latin fumigare to give off smoke, fumigate — more at fumigate
: a strong offensive smell
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably of French dialect origin; akin to French dialect (French Flanders) funquer to give off smoke, French dialect (Picardy) funquer, finquer
transitive verb
1. : to subject to offensive smell or smoke
2. : to use (as a pipe) in smoking
intransitive verb
: to emit an offensive smell or smoke
III. ˈfu̇ŋk, ˈfəŋk noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps from (assumed) obsolete English funk spark, from Middle English funke, probably from Middle Dutch vonke, vunke; akin to Old High German funcho spark, Old Norse funi fire, Gothic fon, Old Prussian panno, Old High German fiur — more at fire
dialect Britain : punk III 2
IV. ˈfəŋk intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably imitative
1. chiefly Scotland : kick I 1
2. chiefly Scotland : to give vent to a rage or temper
V. “, dial Brit “ or ˈfu̇ŋk noun
( -s )
1. dialect Britain : blow ; specifically : kick II 1
2. : a fit of ill humor : rage
VI. ˈfəŋk noun
( -s )
Etymology: probably from obsolete Flemish fonck perturbation
1.
a. : a state of paralyzing fear or timidity
the man was in such a funk that he would not use his legs — Sinclair Lewis
pure nerve and bluff on his part and pure funk on the part of his opponents then saved him — Nation
b. : a depressed state of mind
in a deep, blue funk about life in the city …, she wanted to flee — Bill Hosokawa
2.
[ funk (VII) ]
: one that funks : shirker , coward
he must be a bit of a funk … to be afraid of a poor old lady — L.P.Hartley
VII. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: probably from funk (VI)
intransitive verb
: to become frightened and shrink back : flinch , panic
often … I have funked completely, such as the time I went up to the top of the 30-foot Olympic diving tower — Paul Gallico
transitive verb
: to funk at:
a. : to be afraid of : dread
the seventeen-year-old … funks riding the black horse but takes it on to please his dad — Leslie Rees
it isn't a natural thing for a boy to funk water — Strand Magazine
b. : to shrink from undertaking or facing
every officer had either bungled or had funked the fight — R.H.Davis
if the colleges funk their job of turning out fully educated men — New Yorker
VIII. noun
( -s )
Usage: usually capitalized
Etymology: Funk (surname of Peter Funk ) — more at peter funk
: peter funk
IX. noun
1. : music that combines traditional forms of black music (as blues, gospel, or soul) and is characterized by a strong backbeat
2. : the quality or state of being funky
jeans … have lost much of their funk — Tom Wolfe