fork

verb

forked; forking; forks
Synonyms of forknext

intransitive verb

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

transitive verb

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

The road forks to the north and south. They forked the hay into the loft.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Their tails are squarish rather than forked. Ken Perrotte, Outdoor Life, 4 June 2026 There is a giant chessboard on the ceiling above the coffee bar, black vines and forked lightning painted on the walls, and the meeting rooms are called things like Eleven, Hawkins, The Upside Down. Matt Slater, New York Times, 4 June 2026 In one video clip, an elderly couple could be seen forking out the remnants of their flat, where the window facade was completely shattered. Helen Regan, CNN Money, 2 June 2026 Titian painted Saint Lawrence—a third-century church deacon who was slow-roasted for defying Roman authorities—bound to a palette over a sizzling fire, while a man thrusts a long, forked skewer into his torso. Sebastian Smee, The Atlantic, 16 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for fork

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of fork was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Fork.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fork. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.

Kids Definition

fork

1 of 2 noun
1
: 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 verb
1
: 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

noun
1
: 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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