folk

[ fohk ]

/ foʊk /

noun

Usually folks. (used with a plural verb) people in general: Folks say there wasn't much rain last summer.

Often folks. (used with a plural verb) people of a specified class or group: country folk; poor folks.

(used with a plural verb) people as the carriers of culture, especially as representing the composite of social mores, customs, forms of behavior, etc., in a society: The folk are the bearers of oral tradition.

folks, Informal.

members of one's family; one's relatives: All his folks come from France.
one's parents: Will your folks let you go?

Archaic. a people or tribe.

adjective

of or originating among the common people: folk beliefs; a folk hero.

having unknown origins and reflecting the traditional forms of a society: folk culture; folk art.

QUIZZES

This Word Of The Day Quiz Is Far From Thersitical

Have you mastered the meaning of phronesis? How about plethoric? Take the quiz on the words from the week of February 17 to 23 to find out.

Question 1 of 7

Lincolnesque

without interest or significance; dull; insipid.

like or characteristic of Abraham Lincoln.

very high or tall; lofty.

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Words nearby folk

foliolate, foliole, foliose, folium, folivore, folk, folk art, folk dance, folk etymology, folk linguistics, folk magic

Idioms for folk

just folks, Informal. (of persons) simple, unaffected, unsophisticated, or open-hearted people: He enjoyed visiting his grandparents because they were just folks.

Origin of folk

before 900; Middle English; Old English folc; cognate with Old Saxon, Old Norse folk, Old High German folk (German Volk)

SYNONYMS FOR folk

4 kinfolk, kin, relations, people; clan, tribe.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR folk ON THESAURUS.COM

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for folk

Phonetic, made-up lyrics are another venerable tradition of folk music, and “pa-rum-pa-pa-pum” is iconic of the genre.
Yes, I Like Christmas Music. Stop Laughing.|Michael Tomasky|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The folk memory of medieval community life had been wiped out by the industrial revolution.
How Dickens and Scrooge Saved Christmas|Clive Irving|December 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At this point, he became Tom Sawyer, letting his musical compatriots—and the folk tradition—help paint his musical fence.
Digging the Gold in Dylan’s ‘Basement’|Malcolm Jones|November 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I moved to Washington in 1988 with the folk etymology of lobbyist firmly in mind.
Up to a Point: In Defense of Lobbyists|P. J. O’Rourke|October 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST

And on the other are the folk, numbers unknown, who would pretty much say to Alexander, WTF are you talking about?
Eben Alexander Has a GPS for Heaven|Patricia Pearson|October 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But look you here, my son; folk who acts hasty, as you've done, they often make other people anxious—often enough.
Jim Davis|John Masefield
Some of our folk are almost out of their minds about it, and declare you to be either a brigand in disguise or a spy.
Dead Souls|Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol
But, if you don't mind, there are other folk I would like to see, too!
The Romantic Lady|Michael Arlen
Say not, What have we to do with folk across the waters; have we not matter enough for thought in our own land?
Trooper Peter Halket of Mashonaland|Olive Schreiner
"Yes, yes; we are Madersley folk," said the young man, now turning and speaking eagerly to Fortune.
A Little Mother to the Others|L. T. Meade

British Dictionary definitions for folk

folk

/ (fəʊk) /

noun plural folk or folks

(functioning as plural; often plural in form) people in general, esp those of a particular group or classcountry folk

(functioning as plural; usually plural in form) informal members of a family

(functioning as singular) informal short for folk music

a people or tribe

(modifier) relating to, originating from, or traditional to the common people of a countrya folk song

Derived forms of folk

folkish, adjectivefolkishness, noun

Word Origin for folk

Old English folc; related to Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old High German folk

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

Idioms and Phrases with folk

folk

see just folks.

folk

noun

adjective

QUIZZES

Words related to folk

Words nearby folk

Idioms for folk

Origin of folk

SYNONYMS FOR folk

Example sentences from the Web for folk

British Dictionary definitions for folk

noun plural folk or folks

Derived forms of folk

Word Origin for folk

Idioms and Phrases with folk