fork

Meaning

Noun

1. Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows:
2. Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows:
3. Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows:
4. Any of several types of pronged (tined) tools (physical tools), as follows:
5. A fork in the road, as follows:
6. A fork in the road, as follows:
7. A point where a waterway, such as a river or other stream, splits and flows into two (or more) different directions.
8. One of the parts into which anything is furcated or divided; a prong; a branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a barbed point, as of an arrow.
9. A point in time where one has to make a decision between two life paths.
10. A point in time where one has to make a decision between two life paths.
11. (software development, content management, data management) A departure from having a single source of truth (SSOT), sometimes intentionally but usually unintentionally.
12. (software development, content management, data management) A departure from having a single source of truth (SSOT), sometimes intentionally but usually unintentionally.
13. (software development, content management, data management) A departure from having a single source of truth (SSOT), sometimes intentionally but usually unintentionally.
14. (software development, content management, data management) A departure from having a single source of truth (SSOT), sometimes intentionally but usually unintentionally.
15. Any of the pieces/versions of content thus created.
16. A split in a blockchain resulting from protocol disagreements, or a branch of the blockchain resulting from such a split.
17. The simultaneous attack of two adversary pieces with one single attacking piece (especially a knight).
18. The crotch.
19. (colloquial) A forklift.
20. Either of the blades of a forklift (or, in plural, the set of blades), on which the goods to be raised are loaded.
21. In a bicycle or motorcycle, the portion of the frameset holding the front wheel, allowing the rider to steer and balance, also called front fork.
22. The upper front brow of a saddle bow, connected in the tree by the two saddle bars to the cantle on the other end.
23. (obsolete) A gallows.

Verb

1. To divide into two or more branches or copies.
2. To divide into two or more branches or copies.
3. To divide into two or more branches or copies.
4. To divide into two or more branches or copies.
5. To move with a fork (as hay or food).
6. To kick someone in the crotch.
7. To shoot into blades, as corn does.
8. Euphemistic form of fuck.

Verb

To bale a shaft dry.

Concepts

fork

branch

pitchfork

crotch

bifurcation

chopsticks

prong

junction

branch off

ramify

separate

ramification

rake

bifurcate

furcate

branching

forking

intersection

spear

offshoot

divide into

tine

divaricate

forked stick

furcation

branch out

go apart

tree

javelin

bamboo rake

tines

parting of the ways

turning point

division

farewell

parting

section

separation

dispense

diverge from

scatter

split

point

fish spear

leg

hayfork

diapason

sharp-pointed instrument

silver fork

table fork

crossbar

turnout

addition

additive

annexation

append

attach

attachment

extra

crossroad

double

twin

pole

hook

arm

billabong

divergency

tablefork

bush out

radiate

run out

sprawl

spread

spread out

spread-eagle

stretch

stretch along

pierce

forked

nail

needle

crossroads

divide

bisect

halve

split in two

divining rod

dowsing rod

divining fork

dowsing fork

toothpick

meat hook

spoon

Pronounced as (IPA)

/fɔːk/

Etymology

From Middle English forke (“digging fork”), from Old English force, forca (“forked instrument used to torture”), from Proto-West Germanic *furkō (“fork”), from Latin furca (“pitchfork, forked stake; gallows, beam, stake, support post, yoke”), of uncertain origin. The Middle English word was later reinforced by Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French forque (= Old French forche whence French fourche), also from the Latin. Cognate also with North Frisian forck (“fork”), Dutch vork (“fork”), Danish fork (“fork”), German Forke (“pitchfork”). Displaced native gafol, ġeafel, ġeafle (“fork”), from Old English.
In its primary sense of “fork”, Latin furca appears to be derived from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰerk(ʷ)-, *ǵʰerg(ʷ)- (“fork”), although the development of the -c- is difficult to explain. In other senses this derivation is unlikely. For these, perhaps it is connected to Proto-Germanic *furkaz, *firkalaz (“stake, stick, pole, post”), from Proto-Indo-European *perg- (“pole, post”). If so, this would relate the word to Old English forclas pl (“bolt”), Old Saxon ferkal (“lock, bolt, bar”), Old Norse forkr (“pole, staff, stick”), Norwegian fork (“stick, bat”), Swedish fork (“pole”).

Sentences

He took his plate , grabbed a knife and fork and scowled at the savagery on television .