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.
2. (transitive, especially as "chirk up") To make happier.
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 Scots, Insular Scots) wet gravelly subsoil

Verb

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

• chirker (“house-cricket”)