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Webster 1913 Edition

Firk

Firk

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. OE.
ferken
to proceed, hasten, AS.
fercian
to bring, assist; perh. akin to
faran
to go, E.
fare
.]
To beat; to strike; to chastise.
[Obs.]
I’ll fer him, and
firk
him, and ferret him.
Shakespeare

Firk

,
Verb.
I.
To fly out; to turn out; to go off.
[Obs.]
A wench is a rare bait, with which a man
No sooner's taken but he straight
firks
mad.B.Jonson.

Firk

,
Noun.
A freak; trick; quirk.
[Obs.]
Ford.

Webster 1828 Edition

Firk

FIRK

,
Verb.
T.
To beat; to whip; to chastise. [Not used.]

Definition 2024

firk

firk

English

Alternative forms

Verb

firk ‎(third-person singular simple present firks, present participle firking, simple past and past participle firked)

  1. (transitive) To carry away or about; carry; move.
  2. (transitive) To drive away.
    I'll fer him, and firk him, and ferret him. - Shakespeare The Life of Henry the Fifth: IV, iv
  3. (transitive) To rouse; raise up.
  4. (intransitive) To move quickly; go off or fly out suddenly; turn out.
    • Ben Jonson
      A wench is a rare bait, with which a man / No sooner's taken but he straight firks mad.

Noun

firk ‎(plural firks)

  1. A stroke; lash.

Etymology 2

Probably an alteration of freak.

Noun

firk ‎(plural firks)

  1. (Britain dialectal) A freak; trick; quirk.
Derived terms
  • firkery

Etymology

From Middle English firken, ferken ‎(“to proceed, hasten”), from Old English fercian ‎(“to bring, assist, support, carry, conduct, convey, proceed”); perhaps akin to Old English faran ‎(“to fare, go”), English fare; if so, equivalent to fare +‎ -k. Cognate with Old High German fuora ‎(“benefit, sustenance, support”), Swabian fergen, ferken ‎(“to bring, dispatch”).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)k

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