nark

¹ American  

[nahrk] / nɑrk /

noun

1. British Slang. a stool pigeon or informer.

2. Australian Slang. an annoying person.

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verb (used without object)

1. British Slang. to act as a police informer or stool pigeon.

2. Australian Slang. to become annoyed.

nark ² American  

[nahrk] / nɑrk /

noun

Slang.

1. a variant of narc.

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nark British  

/ nɑːk /

noun

1. an informer or spy, esp one working for the police ( copper's nark )

2. a person who complains irritatingly

   an old nark

3. a spoilsport

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verb

1. to annoy, upset, or irritate

   he was narked by her indifference

2. (intr) to inform or spy, esp for the police

3. (intr) to complain irritatingly

4. to nag someone

5. stop it!

Etymology

Origin of nark¹

First recorded in 1860–65; from Romani word nāk, nak, nok “nose”; akin to Sanskrit nāsā “nose”; the r is unexplained; nose ( def. )

Origin of nark²

First recorded in 1875–80; of uncertain origin, perhaps from Romani nakh “nose,” later conflated with narc ( def. )

Example Sentences

Publicly, Colvin had little time for feminism, quoting famed reporter Martha Gellhorn’s line that “feminists nark me” in one article.

From The Guardian • Nov. 10, 2018

That would nark you off a bit, too, wouldn’t it?

From The Guardian • Sep. 25, 2017

From there nark will be able to reach almost all worthwhile targets in heartland Russia.

From Time Magazine Archive

One of them was Jonathan Wild, an energetic, 29-year-old bucklemaker and bailiff's nark whose sole distinction before his imprisonment was that he had accumulated debts of 61 � 6/.

From Time Magazine Archive

Nobody wanted to nark on Dana and have to face him the next day on the bus.

From "Hoot" by Carl Hiaasen

Related Words

• agent
• informer
• police officer
• private eye
• private investigator
• prosecutor
• reporter
• sleuth
• spy