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conk

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conk¹

  • /kɒŋk/ UK
  • /kɑŋk/ US

Rhymes with -ɒŋk

Where it comes from

Variant or figurative use of conch. Attested since the nineteenth century.

noun conks · konk

  1. The shelf- or bracket-shaped fruiting body of a bracket fungus (also called a shelf fungus), i.e. a mushroom growing off a tree trunk.
  2. slang A nose, especially a large one.
  3. alternative Alternative spelling of conch

verb conks · conking · conked · konk

  1. slang To hit, especially on the head. She came skipping to me just now, clapping her little hands and bleating about how very, very happy she was, dear Mrs Travers. The silly young geezer. I nearly conked her one with my trowel. I'd always thought her half-baked, but now I think they didn't even put her in the oven.

conk²

  • /kɒŋk/ UK
  • /kɑŋk/ US

Rhymes with -ɒŋk

Where it comes from

From congolene, the brand name of a hair-straightening product.

noun conks

  1. US, dated A hairstyle involving the chemical straightening and styling of kinky hair.

verb conks · conking · conked

  1. US, dated To chemically straighten tightly curled hair. The barbecue cook, wearing a dirty white apron, his conked hair reddish and metallic in the pale sun, and a cigarette between his lips, stood in the doorway, watching them.

conk³

  • /kɒŋk/ UK
  • /kɑŋk/ US

Rhymes with -ɒŋk

Where it comes from

Unknown. Attested since the early twentieth century.

verb conks · conking · conked

  1. colloquial, often, with out To fail or show signs of failing, cease operating, break down. Therefore, have two or more engines, so that there is still some power left if one engine conks.
  2. colloquial, often, with out To become unconscious.

Translations

Every language

noun in mycology: the shelf- or bracket-shaped fruiting body of a Bracket fungus

Françaislangue
DeutschPorling

verb slang: to hit

Portuguêsdar cascudo
Françaiscogner
Deutschschlagen, treffen

verb to cease operating, break down

Françaislâcher, péter

Talk about this word

Cite this
MLA

"conk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/conk. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

conk. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/conk

Chicago

"conk." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/conk.

BibTeX
@misc{conk_2026,
  title = {conk},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/conk},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}