cank

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary
Jump to navigation Jump to search

English

[edit]

Etymology

[edit]

From Middle English *cank (compare Middle English cang (foolish"; also "fool, adj and noun) > obsolete English cank (dumb, stupid)), from Old English canc, ġecanc (scorn, jeering), from Proto-West Germanic *kank, from Proto-Germanic *kanką (laughter), from Proto-Indo-European *geng-, *genǵ- (to mock, insult).

Pronunciation

[edit]

Noun

[edit]

cank (countable and uncountable, plural canks)

  1. (UK, dialectal) Gossip, chatter.
  2. (UK, dialectal) A chat.
  3. (UK, dialectal) A gossip, tell-tale.
  4. (UK, dialectal) The cry of a goose.
  5. (UK, dialectal) A fit of ill-humour.

Verb

[edit]

cank (third-person singular simple present canks, present participle canking, simple past and past participle canked)

  1. (UK, dialectal) To gossip, prate, chatter.
    • 1880, Ellen Wood, Johnny Ludlow, volume 1, page 67:
      He said that what he had told me wasn't meant to be repeated again, and I ought not to have gone canking it about, especially to the Rymers theirselves[sic]; []
  2. (UK, dialectal) To talk rapidly; gabble.
  3. (UK, dialectal) To cackle, as geese.

Anagrams

[edit]