Examples Word Origin
a merry, carefree adventure; frolic; escapade. innocent or good-natured mischief; a prank. something extremely easy to accomplish, succeed in, or to obtain: That exam was a lark. Show More
verb (used without object) to have fun; frolic; romp. to behave mischievously; play pranks. Fox Hunting (of a rider) to take jumps unnecessarily: He tired his horse by larking on the way home. Show More
Origin of lark 2 First recorded in 1805–15; origin uncertain
Related forms lark·er , noun lark·i·ness , lark·ish·ness , noun lark·ing·ly , adverb lark·ish , lark·y , adjective lark·ish·ly , adverb lark·some , adjective Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for larky Contemporary Examples of larky His book, he hopes, combines science, geopolitics, and larky history.
It was surprising that I even took such a dark role, but also, in the context of the role there are larky moments.
Historical Examples of larky When he came on board at Sandridge, he looked as frisky and larky as a boy.
Get her to yourself, Ted, and she's as larky as they're made.
But pooty, and larky no doubt, so I tips her a wink and a smile.
His eldest son, Bobby—a boy of about nine or ten—is said to be the most larky boy in the settlement.
The larky German student generally keeps count, contenting himself with half a dozen lights per night.
British Dictionary definitions for larky adjective larkier or larkiest informal frolicsome or mischievous Show More
any brown songbird of the predominantly Old World family Alaudidae, esp the skylark: noted for their singing short for titlark , meadowlark (often capital) any of various slender but powerful fancy pigeons, such as the Coburg Lark up with the lark up early in the morning Show More
Word Origin for lark Old English lāwerce, lǣwerce, of Germanic origin; related to German Lerche, Icelandic lǣvirki
a carefree adventure or frolic a harmless piece of mischief what a lark! how amusing! Show More
(often foll by about) to have a good time by frolicking to play a prank Show More
Derived Forms larker , noun larkish , adjective larkishness , noun Word Origin for lark C19: originally slang, perhaps related to laik
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
Word Origin and History for larky n.1 "songbird," early 14c., earlier lauerche (c.1200), from Old English lawerce (late Old English laferce ), from Proto-Germanic *laiw(a)rikon (cf. Old Saxon lewerka , Frisian liurk , Old Norse lævirik , Dutch leeuwerik , German Lerche ), of unknown origin. Some Old English and Old Norse forms suggest a compound meaning "treason-worker," but there is no folk tale to explain or support this.
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n.2 "spree, frolic," 1811, possibly shortening of skylark (1809), sailors' slang "play rough in the rigging of a ship" (larks were proverbial for high-flying), or from English dialectal lake/laik "to play" (c.1300, from Old Norse leika "to play," from PIE *leig- "to leap") with intrusive -r- common in southern British dialect. The verb lake , considered characteristic of Northern English vocabulary, is the opposite of work but lacks the other meanings of play . As a verb, from 1813. Related: Larked ; larking .
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Idioms and Phrases with larky In addition to the idiom beginning with lark
also see:
happy as the day is long (as a lark) Show More
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
