erk

[ urk ]

nounBritish Slang.
  1. an aircraftsman of the lowest rank in the Royal Air Force.

  2. a worthless, stupid person; jerk.

Origin of erk

1
First recorded in 1920–25; earlier naval slang for any noncommissioned rank; of uncertain origin

Words Nearby erk

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

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
  1. British slang an aircraftman or naval rating

Origin of erk

1
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