Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Lark
Lark
(lärk)
, Noun.
A frolic; a jolly time.
[Colloq.]
Dickens.
Lark
,Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Larked
(lärkt)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Larking
.] To sport; to frolic.
[Colloq.]
Lark
,Noun.
[OE.
larke
, laverock
, AS. lāwerce
; akin to D. leeuwerik
, LG. lewerke
, OHG. lērahha
, G. lerche
, Sw. lärka
, Dan. lerke
, Icel. lævirki
.] (Zool.)
Any one numerous species of singing birds of the genus
Alauda
and allied genera (family Alaudidæ
). They mostly belong to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. In America they are represented by the shore larks, or horned larks, of the genus Otocoris
. The true larks have holaspidean tarsi, very long hind claws, and, usually, dull, sandy brown colors. ☞ The European skylark, or lark of the poets (
Alauda arvensis
), is of a brown mottled color, and is noted for its clear and sweet song, uttered as it rises and descends almost perpendicularly in the air. It is considered a table delicacy, and immense numbers are killed for the markets. Other well-known European species are the crested, or tufted, lark (Alauda cristata
), and the wood lark (Alauda arborea
). The pipits, or titlarks, of the genus Anthus
(family Motacillidæ
) are often called larks. See Pipit
. The American meadow larks, of the genus Sturnella
, are allied to the starlings. See Meadow Lark
. The Australian bush lark is Mirafra Horsfieldii
. See Shore lark
. Lark bunting
(Zool.)
, a fringilline bird (
– Calamospiza melanocorys
) found on the plains of the Western United States. Lark sparrow
(Zool.)
, a sparrow (
Chondestes grammacus
), found in the Mississippi Valley and the Western United States.Lark
,Verb.
I.
To catch larks;
as, to go
. larking
Definition 2024
Lark
Lark
See also: lark
English
Proper noun
Lark
- A surname, from lark as a byname or for a catcher and seller of larks.
- A patronymic surname shortened from Larkin, a medieval diminutive of Laurence.
- A male given name occasionally transferred from the surnames.
- A female given name from the lark bird.
- 1989 Faith Sullivan, The Cape Ann, Penguin 1989, ISBN 0140119795, page 2
- Mama had chosen the name Lark. Lark Browning Erhardt. Papa had wanted to call me Beverly Mary; Mary after the Blessed Virgin. Mama said she wouldn't hang a name like Beverly Mary on a pet skunk. Where she got the idea for Lark, I don't know, though one time when I asked, she said that larks flew high and had a happy song.
- 1989 Faith Sullivan, The Cape Ann, Penguin 1989, ISBN 0140119795, page 2
Anagrams
lark
lark
See also: Lark
English
A Crested lark, of the Alaudidae family
Alternative forms
Noun
lark (plural larks)
- Any of various small, singing passerine birds of the family Alaudidae.
- Any of various similar-appearing birds, but usually ground-living, such as the meadowlark and titlark.
- One who wakes early; one who is up with the larks.
Synonyms
- (one who wakes early): early bird, early riser
Hyponyms
- (species in Alaudidae): woodlark, skylark, magpie-lark, horned lark, sea lark, crested lark, shorelark
Derived terms
Derived terms
|
Translations
bird
|
|
one who wakes early
|
Verb
lark (third-person singular simple present larks, present participle larking, simple past and past participle larked)
- To catch larks.
- to go larking
External links
-
lark on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
-
Alaudidae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
-
Alaudidae on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
Etymology 2
Origin uncertain, either
- from a northern English dialectal term lake/laik (“to play”) (around 1300, from Old Norse leika (“to play (as opposed to work)”)), with an intrusive -r- as is common in southern British dialects; or
- a shortening of skylark (1809), sailors' slang, "play roughly in the rigging of a ship", because the common European larks were proverbial for high-flying; Dutch has a similar idea in speelvogel (“playbird, a person of markedly playful nature”).
Noun
lark (plural larks)
- A romp, frolic, some fun.
- (Can we find and add a quotation of Charles Dickens to this entry?)
- A prank.
- 1913, George Bernard Shaw, “Act V”, in Pygmalion:
- HIGGINS The devil he does! Whew! [Brightening suddenly] What a lark!
-
Synonyms
Derived terms
- on a lark
Related terms
- skylark (in verb sense "play")
Translations
prank
Verb
lark (third-person singular simple present larks, present participle larking, simple past and past participle larked)
Translations
References
- “lark” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).
- Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield, Massachusetts, G.&C. Merriam Co., 1967