conk

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈkäŋk How to pronounce conk (audio)
ˈkȯŋk
chiefly British slang
: nose

conk

2 of 6

verb (1)

conked; conking; conks

transitive verb

: to hit especially on the head : knock out

conk

3 of 6

noun (2)

: the visible fruiting body of a bracket fungus
also : decay caused by such a fungus
conky
ˈkäŋ-kē How to pronounce conk (audio)
ˈkȯŋ-
adjective

conk

4 of 6

verb (2)

conked; conking; conks

intransitive verb

1
: break down
especially : stall
usually used with out
the motor suddenly conked out
2
a
: faint
b
: to go to sleep
usually used with off or out
conked out for a while after lunch
c
: die
I caught pneumonia. I almost conkedTruman Capote

conk

5 of 6

verb (3)

conked; conking; conks

transitive verb

: to straighten out (hair) usually by the use of chemicals

conk

6 of 6

noun (3)

: a hairstyle in which the hair is straightened out and flattened down or lightly waved

called also process

Examples of conk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Everybody had a new car and a conk. New York Times, 27 Oct. 2021 The spectral and the barely discernible devotions become manifest as Holy Ghost, though also borne in Malcolm X’s stance and the Godfather of Soul’s conk. Saidiya Hartman, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2023 This is a fungal conk, probably from the genus Ganoderma, although that’s not my field of expertise. Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 8 Oct. 2020
Verb
According to rumors, a blazing row on the terrace of their hotel – the San Domenico Palace – ended when Taylor conked Burton on the head with a mandolin. John Bleasdale, Variety, 18 June 2023 The engine might conk out. Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2021 His team had sputtered and whirred to life only to conk out in spectacular fashion. Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2021 While some little ones conk out as soon as the engine starts, others have a difficult time being in the car for hours—or any time at all. Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 26 Oct. 2020 Why would a woman who has only a stun gun for protection get involved with large amounts of cash and shady strangers, any of whom could simply conk her on the head and rob her? Kyle Smith, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 And Venetia, Lady Digby, on Her Deathbed, by Van Dyck, is about to conk off. Brian T. Allen, National Review, 5 Feb. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'conk.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from conch

Verb (1)

English slang conk head

Noun (2)

probably alteration of conch

Verb (2)

probably imitative

Verb (3)

probably by shortening & alteration from congolene preparation used for straightening hair

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1812, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1821, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1943, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of conk was in 1812

Dictionary Entries Near conk

Cite this Entry

“Conk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conk. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

conk

verb
ˈkäŋk,
ˈkȯŋk
1
: break down sense 1
the motor suddenly conked out
2
: to go to sleep
conked out after lunch

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