tonk
/tˈɔŋk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.60 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
4
Letters
1
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
An item or items of value, or of perceived value, especially for sale.
Countable; Slang; Uncountable
intj
Representing a sound produced by knocking on something hollow.
noun
A sound produced by knocking on something hollow.
Example Sentences
- "1990: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary, Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments: Hearings Before the Committee - An agent, Larry Moy, when asked to define the derivation of the term “tonk,” replied: “...it's the sound of flashlight hitting somebody's head, tonk". [This "derivation" is incorrect - see Etymology]"
- "1998: Cirenio Rodriguez & Enrique T Trueba, Leadership, education and political action, in Ethnic Identity and Power: Cultural Contexts of Political Action in School and Society - "Catch as many tonks as you guys can. Safely. An alien is not worth busting a leg.""
- "2005: EMF (poster on The QandO Blog in response to Illegal immigration made easy, read at https://web.archive.org/web/20060528001651/http://www.qando.net/details.aspx?Entry=789 on 27 May 2006) - The pissed off Arizona land owner who snipes the tonks with a high powered rifle."
- "How much tonk have we got to shift?"
- "It has big deep-down chairs and a card table by the window covered with jade, dracena and doctor plants until they want to have card games or play tonk between themselves."
- "In one of those stampings into the yard he suddenly rushed at the tank and tapped it. Tonk, tonk, tonk, tab. One rung left. Only one rung; about a week's supply of water."
Etymology
Origins are unknown, but definitely predate the use of metal flashlights, contrary to the most quoted description of origin. It is probable that the origin relates to Chinese immigration, as the first law to restrict immigration from a particular country was enacted in 1882 to limit the numbers of Chinese coming to the United States. It is said that many of the illegal immigrants made their way to the US via the Gulf of Tonkin area of what is now Vietnam. It is also possible that the term is related to the Chinese "tong" mob.
Usage
- American usage
- Derogatory
- Slang
- Countable
- Uncountable
- Colloquial
- Transitive verb
- British usage