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erk

[ urk ]
/ ɜrk /
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noun British Slang.
an aircraftsman of the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force.
a worthless, stupid person; jerk.
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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.
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Origin of erk

First recorded in 1920–25; earlier naval slang for any noncommissioned rank; of uncertain origin

Words nearby erk

Eriskay pony, eristic, Eritrea, Eritrean, Erivan, erk, Erlander, erlang, Erlangen, Erlanger, Erlenmeyer flask
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use erk in a sentence

  • The next day he was installed as a clerk in the office of Peter Van Erk, one of the principal merchants in the city.

    A True Hero|W.H.G. Kingston

  • The large public hall in which meetings of the sort were generally held was nearly filled by the time the Van Erk party arrived.

    A True Hero|W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for erk

erk
/ (ɜːk) /
noun
British slang an aircraftman or naval rating

Word Origin for erk

C20: perhaps a corruption of AC (aircraftman)
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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