F-word

American  

[ef-wurd] / ˈɛfˌwɜrd /

Also f word or f-word

noun

1. a euphemism for the word fuck .

   The f-word came into English in the 15th century.

---

f-word British  

noun

1. taboo (sometimes capital) a euphemistic way of referring to the word fuck

---

Etymology

Origin of F-word

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

O’Rourke told a voter who asked about his language: “Great point, and I don’t intend to use the F-word going forward. Point taken, and very strongly made. ... We’re going to keep it clean.”

From Fox News • Mar. 17, 2019

When asked if she was a feminist she did not use the F-word and stressed her love for men – as if pre-empting an attack.

From Salon • Oct. 27, 2016

The F-word seldom appears in Shirley Jackson, although Franklin makes frequent reference to Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, a book that does capture some of the confusion and dissatisfaction of Jackson’s life and work.

From Slate • Oct. 5, 2016

If it remains to be seen whether self-proclaimed feminists like Beyoncé and John Legend can resurrect the F-word, let alone make it safe for men, Kimmel’s not sure it matters.

From Washington Post • Mar. 8, 2015

In 1934, in the journal “American Speech,” the scholar Allen Walker Read published “An Obscenity Symbol,” still the most important article written about the F-word.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2014