chirk

See also: Chirk

English

Etymology

From Middle English chirken, cherken, charken, from Old English ċearcian (to chatter, creak, crash), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakċną (to make a sound, crack). Doublet of chark. Related also to crake, crack.

Verb

chirk (third-person singular simple present chirks, present participle chirking, simple past and past participle chirked)

  1. (intransitive, especially as "chirk up") To become happier.
    • 1917, Sewell Ford, Wilt Thou Torchy:
    • 1908, Grace Livingston Hill Lutz, Marcia Schuyler:
      Now you jest wipe your eyes and chirk up.
    • 1894, Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens), Tom Sawyer Abroad:
      "Go ahead," he says, and I see Jim chirk up to listen.
  2. (transitive, especially as "chirk up") To make happier.
    • 1912, Zona Gale, Christmas:
      But--" "Well, I think," said Mis' Jane Moran, "that we've hit on the only way we could have hit on to chirk each other up over a hard time."
  3. To make the sound of a bird; to chirp.

Adjective

chirk (comparative chirker or more chirk, superlative chirkest or most chirk)

  1. (colloquial, US, chiefly New England) lively; cheerful; in good spirits

Usage notes

  • The comparative and superlative forms of chirky chirkier and chirkiest are sometimes used suppletively as comparative and superlative forms of chirk.

Scots

Alternative forms

  • chairk, jirg

Etymology

From Middle English cherkin, from Old English ċearcian, ċiercian, variant forms of Old English cracian, from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną (to crack; crackle; shriek).

Cognate with English chirk. Doublet of chork, crak, crake, and jarg. The noun is derived from the verb.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [tʃɪrk], [tʃʌrk]

Noun

chirk (plural chirks)

  1. a harsh grating or creaking noise
  2. (geology, North Northern, Orkney, Shetland) wet gravelly subsoil

Verb

chirk (third-person singular simple present chirks, present participle chirkin, simple past chirkit, past participle chirkit)

  1. to make a harsh, strident noise
  2. to creak (of a door)
  3. to gnash, rub together (of the teeth or gums)
  4. to make a squelching noise

Derived terms

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