fork

American  

[fawrk] / fɔrk /

noun

1. 1. an instrument having two or more prongs or tines, for holding, lifting, etc., such as a utensil for handling food or any of various agricultural tools.

   2. something resembling or suggesting this in form.

2. a division into branches or the point where this division occurs.

   Bear left at the fork in the road.

   There’s a fork in the decision-making process for these two types of problem.

3. either of the branches into which a thing divides.

   The right fork will also get you to our farm, but by a longer route.

4. a principal tributary of a river.

5. tuning fork.

6. Machinery. yoke.

7. Horology. (in a lever escapement) the divided end of the lever engaging with the ruby pin.

8. the support of the front wheel axles of a bicycle or motorcycle, having two parallel prongs.

9. the barbed head of an arrow.

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verb (used with object)

1. to pierce, raise, pitch, dig, etc., with a fork.

   I forked 50 bales into the hay wagon today.

   If you fork your lawn, the soil will absorb water more readily.

2. to make into the form of a fork.

3. Chess. to maneuver so as to place (two opponent's pieces) under simultaneous attack by the same piece.

   She managed to fork my rook and queen, and I lost the rook.

4. Computers. to copy the source code from (a piece of software) and develop a new version independently, resulting in two unique pieces of software.

   They forked the app and added another module.

verb (used without object)

1. to divide into branches.

   Turn left where the road forks.

2. to turn as indicated at a fork in a road, path, etc..

   Fork left and continue to the top of the hill.

verb phrase

1. fork over / out / up to hand over; deliver; pay.

   Fork over the money you owe me!

fork British  

/ fɔːk /

noun

1. a small usually metal implement consisting of two, three, or four long thin prongs on the end of a handle, used for lifting food to the mouth or turning it in cooking, etc

2. an agricultural tool consisting of a handle and three or four metal prongs, used for lifting, digging, etc

3. a pronged part of any machine, device, etc

4. 1. a division into two or more branches

   2. the point where the division begins

   3. such a branch

5. the main tributary of a river

6. chess a position in which two pieces are forked

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verb

1. (tr) to pick up, dig, etc, with a fork

2. (tr) chess to place (two enemy pieces) under attack with one of one's own pieces, esp a knight

3. (tr) to make into the shape of a fork

4. (intr) to be divided into two or more branches

5. to take one or other branch at a fork in a road, river, etc

Other Word Forms

• forkful noun
• forkless adjective
• forklike adjective
• unfork verb (used with object)

Etymology

Origin of fork

First recorded before 1000; Middle English forke, Old English forca, from Latin furca fork, gallows, yoke

Example Sentences

Soft enough to give under a fork, structured enough to hold its shape beside a mug of coffee.

From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026

If Facebook bought DeepMind, it would lowball the price it paid for DeepMind shares, but then fork over a vast signing bonus to the founders and their top colleagues.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026

In some places, it is cheaper to pay a fine than use an NCP car park, with some people opting deliberately to risk a fine rather than fork out for the "extortionate" charge.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

But again, that tactic failed to lure in anyone willing to fork out for the property—which was listed for the lower price of $18.99 million at the time.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

I put my fork down and scratched at my cheek.

From Each Little Bird That Sings by Deborah Wiles