plural forks
1
: an implement with two or more prongs used especially for taking up (as in eating), pitching, or digging
2
: a forked part, tool, or piece of equipment
3
a
: a division into branches or the place where something divides into branches see also fork in the road
b
4
: one of the branches into which something forks
5
: an attack by one chess piece (such as a knight) on two pieces simultaneously
forked; forking; forks
1
: to divide into two or more branches
where the road forks
2
a
: to use or work with a fork
b
: to turn into a fork
1
: to give the form of a fork to
forking her fingers
2
: to attack (two chessmen) simultaneously
3
: to raise, pitch, dig, or work with a fork
fork hay
4
: pay, contribute
—used with over, out, or up
had to fork over $5000
forker
noun
Examples of fork in a Sentence
Noun
a fork in the road
the north fork of the river
the front fork of a bicycle
Verb
The road forks to the north and south.
They forked the hay into the loft.
Recent Examples on the Web
Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
29 June 2026
Police set up crime scene tape along an overpass on State Street, right where the Dan Ryan Expressway forks into the Bishop Ford Freeway to the south suburbs.
—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Ben Kesslen,
Curbed,
29 June 2026
Georgia is one of dozens of states that could have to fork over millions of dollars to provide food aid to lower-income residents if officials don't cut down on payment errors in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fork
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Use a fork to smash the cheese into the oil and vinegar, then whisk to combine.
—
Kate Williams,
AJC.com,
29 June 2026
Police set up crime scene tape along an overpass on State Street, right where the Dan Ryan Expressway forks into the Bishop Ford Freeway to the south suburbs.
—
Darius Johnson,
CBS News,
29 June 2026
Verb
Owners today should expect to fork over 5 to 10 percent of their home’s value on initial landscaping, according to Oceanview Landscapes in Southampton.
—
Ben Kesslen,
Curbed,
29 June 2026
Georgia is one of dozens of states that could have to fork over millions of dollars to provide food aid to lower-income residents if officials don't cut down on payment errors in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
—
Dan Raby,
CBS News,
25 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for fork
Cite this Entry
“Fork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fork. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fork
1 of 2 noun1
: a tool with two or more prongs used especially for taking up (as in eating), pitching, or digging
2
: a forked part or tool
3
a
: a dividing into branches or the place where something divides into branches
a fork in the road
b
: a branch of a fork
take the left fork
fork
2 of 2 verb1
: to divide into two or more branches
the road forks
2
: to raise or pitch with a fork
fork hay
3
: to give the form of a fork to
forked her fingers
4
: pay entry 1 sense 2, contribute
had to fork over $100
forker
noun
Medical Definition
fork
noun1
: a forked part, tool, or piece of equipment see tuning fork
2
: the lower part of the human body where the legs diverge from the trunk usually including the legs
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