AWK

Etymology 1

Adjective

awk (comparative more awk, superlative most awk)

(obsolete) Odd; out of order; perverse.

(obsolete) Wrong, or not commonly used; clumsy; sinister

(obsolete, UK, dialect) Clumsy in performance or manners; not dexterous; awkward.

Synonym: unhandy

(US slang, of a situation) Awkward; uncomfortable.

Adverb

awk (comparative more awk, superlative most awk)

(obsolete) Perversely; in the wrong way.

Etymology 2

From the initial letters of the surnames of its authors: Alfred Aho, Peter Weinberger, and Brian Kernighan.

Proper noun

awk

(computing) A Unix scripting language or the command line interface itself.

Anagrams

• Kaw, Kwa, kaw

Source: Wiktionary


Awk, a. Etym: [OE. auk, awk (properly) turned away; (hence) contrary, wrong, from Icel. öfigr, öfugr, afigr, turning the wrong way, fr. af off, away; cf. OHG. abuh, Skr. apac turned away, fr. apa off, away + a root ak, ak, to bend, from which come also E. angle, anchor.]

1. Odd; out of order; perverse. [Obs.]

2. Wrong, or not commonly used; clumsy; sinister; as, the awk end of a rod (the but end). [Obs.] Golding.

3. Clumsy in performance or manners; unhandy; not dexterous; awkward. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]

Awk, adv.

Definition: Perversely; in the wrong way. L'Estrange.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

23 May 2025

THOUGHTFULLY

(adverb) showing consideration and thoughtfulness; “he had thoughtfully brought with him some food to share”


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In 1884, Angelo Moriondo of Turin, Italy, demonstrated the first working example of an espresso machine.

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