fork
UK[fɔːk]US[fɔːrk]
n
A tool with a handle and two or more long, thin pointed parts (called prongs or tines), used for picking up and eating food.
n
A place where something, especially a road or river, divides into two parts.
v
To divide into two parts, especially of a road, path, or river.
v
To pick something up or move something with a fork.
Etymology
The word 'fork' originates from the Old English 'forca' and 'forc', which referred to a forked instrument. These terms were borrowed from the Latin 'furca', meaning a pitchfork or a two-pronged fork. The Latin word itself is of uncertain deeper origin, though it may be related to the concept of a stake or post. The core idea of a bifurcation or division has remained remarkably stable from its ancient agricultural tool sense to its modern meanings encompassing dining utensils, road divisions, and branching actions.
Analysis
The word 'fork' is a simplex word of Old English origin. It is not productively composed of smaller, separable morphemes in modern English.
Examples
She set the table with a knife, fork, and spoon.
Take the left fork in the road when you reach the old oak tree.
The river forks just north of the town, creating two smaller streams.