erk

[ urk ]
/ ɜrk /

noun British Slang.

an aircraftsman of the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force.
a worthless, stupid person; jerk.

QUIZZES

DO YOU KNOW THIS VOCABULARY FROM "THE HANDMAID'S TALE"?

"The Handmaid's Tale" was required reading for many of us in school. Everyone else has probably watched the very popular and addictive TV show. Do you remember this vocabulary from the book, and do you know what these terms mean?
Question 1 of 10
decorum
the act of or need for making up one's mind.
dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.
a company of singers, especially an organized group employed in church service.
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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. 2020

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