conk

1 of 6

noun (1)

ˈkäŋk

ˈkȯŋk

Synonyms of conk

chiefly British slang

: nose

conk

2 of 6

verb (1)

conked; conking; conks

transitive verb

: to hit especially on the head : knock out

conk

3 of 6

noun (2)

: the visible fruiting body of a bracket fungus

also : decay caused by such a fungus

conky

ˈkäŋ-kē

ˈkȯŋ-

adjective

conk

4 of 6

verb (2)

conked; conking; conks

intransitive verb

: break down

especially : stall

—usually used with out

the motor suddenly conked out

: faint

: to go to sleep

—usually used with off or out

conked out for a while after lunch

: die

I caught pneumonia. I almost conked—Truman Capote

conk

5 of 6

verb (3)

conked; conking; conks

transitive verb

: to straighten out (hair) usually by the use of chemicals

conk

6 of 6

noun (3)

: a hairstyle in which the hair is straightened out and flattened down or lightly waved

called also process

Examples of conk in a Sentence

Noun (1) a feisty cockney who had got his conk broken more than once in street brawls Verb (2) after three days without eating, he simply conked out the engine conked out just as we were approaching the exact middle of nowhere a list of people whose chief claim to fame is the unusual manner in which they conked out

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.

Noun

That’s what the slick dude with the conk and the blue Pontiac says to Elwood, who is hitching a ride to get to college. —Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2024

Everybody had a new car and a conk. —New York Times, 27 Oct. 2021 The spectral and the barely discernible devotions become manifest as Holy Ghost, though also borne in Malcolm X’s stance and the Godfather of Soul’s conk. —Saidiya Hartman, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2023 This is a fungal conk, probably from the genus Ganoderma, although that’s not my field of expertise. —Neil Sperry, ExpressNews.com, 8 Oct. 2020

Verb

Could there be any truth to the fan theory that Greg was hiding on the boat when Tanya killed Quentin and his minions, then fatally conked herself in the head while escaping? —Judy Berman, TIME, 17 Feb. 2025 River was saved, in a sense, by getting conked in the back of his head, which took him away from the clutches of Hugo Weaving’s Frank Harkness and into the clutches of Natasha (Coralie Audret), who’s anxious to know what brought him into town. —Scott Tobias, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2024 According to rumors, a blazing row on the terrace of their hotel – the San Domenico Palace – ended when Taylor conked Burton on the head with a mandolin. —John Bleasdale, Variety, 18 June 2023 The engine might conk out. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 19 Oct. 2021 His team had sputtered and whirred to life only to conk out in spectacular fashion. —Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 18 Sep. 2021 While some little ones conk out as soon as the engine starts, others have a difficult time being in the car for hours—or any time at all. —Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 26 Oct. 2020 Why would a woman who has only a stun gun for protection get involved with large amounts of cash and shady strangers, any of whom could simply conk her on the head and rob her? —Kyle Smith, WSJ, 11 Aug. 2022 And Venetia, Lady Digby, on Her Deathbed, by Van Dyck, is about to conk off. —Brian T. Allen, National Review, 5 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

perhaps from conch

Verb (1)

English slang conk head

Noun (2)

probably alteration of conch

Verb (2)

probably imitative

Verb (3)

probably by shortening & alteration from congolene preparation used for straightening hair

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1812, in the meaning defined above

Verb (1)

1821, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1851, in the meaning defined above

Verb (2)

1918, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (3)

1943, in the meaning defined above

Noun (3)

1965, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler

The first known use of conk was in 1812

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Conk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conk. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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Kids Definition

conk

verb

ˈkäŋk,

ˈkȯŋk

: break down sense 1

the motor suddenly conked out

: to go to sleep

conked out after lunch

conk

noun (1)

verb (1)

noun (2)

verb (2)

verb (3)

noun (3)

Synonyms

Examples of conk in a Sentence

Word History

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