spunk
Americannoun
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pluck; spirit; mettle.
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touchwood, tinder, or punk.
noun
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informal courage or spirit
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a slang word for semen
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touchwood or tinder, esp originally made from various spongy types of fungus
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informal a person, esp male, who is sexually attractive
Usage
The second sense of this word was formerly considered to be taboo, and it was labelled as such in previous editions of Collins English Dictionary . However, it has now become acceptable in speech, although some older or more conservative people may object to its use
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of spunk
1530–40; blend of spark 1 and obsolete funk spark, touchwood (cognate with Dutch vonk, German Funke )
Explanation
People with spunk are courageous or determined. If you've got spunk, you'll cheerfully finish a difficult hike even after falling and skinning your knees. If someone has spunk, they have what it takes to continue doing stand-up comedy even when audiences are rude or disinterested. Spunk is what keeps you upbeat and resolute, inspiring you to persevere. Spunk is an informal noun that means "spark" in Scottish, from the Latin word for "sponge," spongia.
Vocabulary lists containing spunk
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Spunk and moxie define Winnie, yet for a central character, her thoughts, feelings and interests beyond motivating her desultory new pal are not.
From New York Times • Dec. 15, 2021
I’m looking forward to rereading Spunk, the powerful and irreverent stories of Zora Neale Hurston, who dazzled during the Harlem Renaissance.
From The Guardian • Jul. 12, 2015
When he tries to convince the actor Spunk Davis, for obvious reasons, to change his name, Spunk turns on him and growls, "One more word and I'll rip my ears off!"
From The Guardian • May 27, 2010
Hm-m; well, judging by his name," murmured Bertram, apologetically, "it may be just possible that Spunk won't be easily controlled.
From Miss Billy by Porter, Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman)
All these, together with a canary, and a kitten as near like Spunk as could be obtained, made Billy's household.
From Miss Billy by Porter, Eleanor H. (Eleanor Hodgman)
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
