fork

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   the region of the angle formed by the junction of two branches

   they took the south fork

2. 2
   verb

   shape like a fork

   They forked their fingers.

3. 3
   verb

   divide into two or more branches so as to form a fork

   The road forks

4. 4
   verb

   lift with a pitchfork

   pitchfork hay

5. 5
   noun

   One of the parts into which anything is furcated or divided; a prong; a branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a barbed point, as of an arrow.

   a thunderbolt with three forks

6. 6
   noun

   A forklift.

   Are you qualified to drive a fork?

7. 7
   noun

   Either of the blades of a forklift (or, in plural, the set of blades), on which the goods to be raised are loaded.

   Get those forks tilted back more or you're gonna lose that pallet!

8. 8
   noun

   In a bicycle or motorcycle, the portion of the frameset holding the front wheel, allowing the rider to steer and balance, also called front fork.

   The fork can be equipped with a suspension on mountain bikes.

Etymology

From Middle English forke (“digging fork”), from Old English force, forca (“forked instrument used to torture”), from Proto-West Germanic *furkō (“fork”), from Latin furca (“pitchfork, forked stake; gallows, beam, stake, support post, yoke”), of uncertain origin. The Middle English word was later reinforced by Anglo-Norman, Old Northern French forque (= Old French forche whence French fourche), also from the Latin. Doublet of fourche and furcate. Cognate also with North Frisian forck (“fork”), Dutch vork (“fork”), Danish fork (“fork”), German Forke (“pitchfork”). Displaced native gafol, ġeafel…