spunk
/spʌŋk/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.66 in modern English
11
Scrabble Score
5
Letters
1
Syllables
5
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Synonym of taper, a thin stick used for transferring flames, especially a sulfur match.
British usage; Countable; Obsolete
noun
Synonym of match, a thin chemically-treated stick used for creating flames.
Countable; Obsolete
noun
An attractive person; a good-looker.
Australian usage; New Zealand usage; British usage; Countable; Slang
Example Sentences
- ""[...] That's none such an entirely bad little man, yon little man with the red head," said Alan. "He has some spunks of decency.""
- "He […] took from his waistcoatpocket a nickel tinderbox, sprang it open too, and, having lit his cigarette, held the flaming spunk towards Stephen in the shell of his hands."
- "Spunk, or Touch-wood prepared, might perhaps make it Russet: and some, as Beringuccio affirmeth, have promised to make it Red."
- "A piece of Touch-wood (which is a kind of Jews-ear, or Mushrom, growing here in England also, on several sorts of Trees, such as Elders, Maples, Willows, &c. and is commonly call'd by the name of Spunk[…])."
- "At present, her only means of procuring subsistence for herself and children, is by making spunks or matches, which, either she or her eldest child, a girl about six years of age, sells from door to door."
- "“Spunks — spunks — spunks — who will buy my spunks?” — cried an errant voice with a beseeching earnestness[…]."
Etymology
1530, blend of spark + funk (obsolete, “spark”). Funk (“spark, touchwood”) is from Middle English funke, fonke (“spark”), from Old English *funca (“spark”), from Proto-West Germanic *funkō, from Proto-Germanic *funkô (“spark”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)peng- (“to shine”), and is akin to Middle Low German funke, fanke (“spark”), Middle Dutch vonke (“spark”), Old High German funcho, funko (“spark”), German Funke (“spark”).