bork

1
[ bawrk ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to cause to malfunction, especially computer hardware or software: Installing updates in the wrong order will bork all of your saved games.The fonts are borked when the site is accessed from a mobile device.

  2. to mess up, ruin, break, botch, etc.: He said all of the wrong things during his interview and completely borked his chances of being invited back.Of course I borked my leg on the first day of our ski trip.

Origin of bork

1
First recorded in 2000–05; perhaps an alteration of break, influenced by bork2

Other definitions for bork (2 of 2)

bork2
[ bawrk ]

verb (used with object)
  1. to attack (a candidate or public figure) systematically, especially in the media.

Origin of bork

2
An Americanism dating back to 1988; after Judge Robert H. Bork, whose appointment to the U.S. Supreme Court was blocked in 1987 after an extensive media campaign by his opponents

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bork in a sentence

  • It's also worth remembering that "Borking" didn't really start with bork.

    Robert Bork | Michael Tomasky | December 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
  • You can look all these people up if you wish, but the point is that there was Borking before bork.

    Robert Bork | Michael Tomasky | December 19, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST