spunkn.
/spʌŋk/, U.S. /spəŋk/ 1. Scottish and dialect. A spark, in various senses.Chiefly in figurative use: cf. spark n.1 1d, 2.
a. With of (some quality, fire, light, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > light > light emitted in particular manner > [noun] > spark or glittering light
sprankle1398
sparkle1490
spunkc1540
sparka1542
scintil1599
glitter1602
star1609
stricture1628
spinther1641
scintillation1646
fanglea1657
scintilla1661
sparkleta1687
twinkle1689
spangle1821
spink1829
crown jewel1851
twink1870
peep1882
α.
β. 1599 A. Hume His Recantation 10 I feel no spunk of faith in me.1629 W. Mure True Crucifixe 681 Loe, while ev'n his life's last spunke is spent, The Temple's vaile is to the bottome rent.1647 J. Trapp Comm. Epist. & Rev. (Rev. vi. 3) A Sea~coal fire, if not stirred up, will die of it self, so will our spark and spunk of light.1653 H. Binning Serm. (1845) 622 He hath no more religion than a Spunk of desire.1724 A. Ramsay Vision in Ever Green I. ii Ilk creature..That had a spunk of sense.1786 R. Burns Poems 199 O for a spunk o' Allan's glee.1807 J. Stagg Misc. Poems (new ed.) 77 At length a wee bit spunk o' light, Transfix'd his wand'ring eyes.1886 R. L. Stevenson Kidnapped xviii. 177 He has some spunks of decency.c1540 J. Bellenden tr. H. Boece Hyst. & Cron. Scotl. vi. vi. f. 69/1 For ane sponk of small occasioun of vnkindnes.
a1572 J. Knox Hist. Reformation Scotl. in Wks. (1846) I. 10 How mercyfullie God hath looked upoun this Realme, reteanyng within it some sponk of his light, evin in the tyme of grettast darkness.
1590 J. Davidson Reply to Bancroft in Wodrow Soc. Misc. (1844) 508 If there had beene a sponke thereof [sc. charity] within him.
c1614 W. Mure tr. Virgil Dido & Æneas iii. in Wks. (1898) I. 446 Seazing on her death~seal'd lipps to knowe If any sponk of breath as ȝit remain'd.
b. Without const.
ΚΠ
c1585 A. Montgomerie Misc. Poems xiii. 40 Fy on that freik that can not love! He hes not worth a sponk of spreit.
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1895) II. 57 He slokned out all occasioun of ciuil weir, and nychtbour fead, spunk and spark.
1671 R. Fleming Fulfilling Script. (ed. 2) 193 That little spunke now under ashes must assuredly revive and blow up to a flame.
1819 W. Scott Bride of Lammermoor xii, in Tales of my Landlord 3rd Ser. II. 290 Not a gleed of fire, then, except..maybe a spunk in Mysie's cutty-pipe.
1823– in dial. glossaries.
1827 J. Wilson Noctes Ambrosianae xxxiv, in Blackwood's Edinb. Mag. July 124 As an Editor, he is, compared wi' Christopher North—but as a spunk to the Sun!
c. A small fire. Also in a spunk of fire.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > properties of materials > temperature > heat > burning > a fire > [noun] > a kind of fire > small fire
firelingc1540
widow's fire1619
widow1710
spunk1802
1802 J. Sibbald Chron. Sc. Poetry Gloss. s.v. Spunk of fire, a very small fire.
1806 J. Nicol Poems I. 18 (Jam.) I see thee shiverin, wrinklet, auld, Cour owre a spunk that dies wi' cauld.
1815 W. Scott Guy Mannering I. xi. 175 Ye may light a spunk o' fire in the red room.
1870 F. P. Verney Lettice Lisle xx. 228 What, ain't there a spunk of fire?
d. Scottish and northern. Applied to persons (see quots.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > vigour or energy > [noun] > vigorous or energetic person
pealerc1400
terrier1532
swinger1583
whipster1590
fireman1648
my (also me) hearty1735
whitherer1790
spunkie1806
vigorist1807
spunk1808
goer1811
smiter1823
hard hitter1831
blue hen's chicken (also chick)1859
stem-winder1875
vital force1886
live wire1896
towser1901
powerhouse1908
jazzer1912
1808 J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang. (at cited word) A mere spunk, a lively creature; especially applied to one who has more spirit than bodily strength, or appearance of it.
1894 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words (at cited word) He's a wee spunk o' a thing.
2. Touchwood; tinder, match, or amadou prepared from this.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > material for igniting > [noun] > touch-wood-paper
tindera700
tache1393
toucha1500
kindlinga1522
touchwood1575
spunk1582
matchwood1597
lint1612
funk1673
firelighter1771
saltpetre paper1832
match-paper1883
1582 R. Stanyhurst tr. Virgil First Foure Bookes Æneis i. 6 In spunck or tinder thee quick fyre he kindly receaued.
1646 Sir T. Browne Pseudodoxia Epidemica ii. v. 89 To make white powder:..The best I know is by the powder of rotten willowes; spunck, or touchwood prepared, might perhaps make it russet. View more context for this quotation
1651 in S. Hartlib Legacie 110 His Lordship told me the way of making of Spunke or Touch-wood.
a1691 R. Boyle Gen. Hist. Air (1692) 208 The burning of Match, Touchwood, Sponck, &c.
1723 Pres. State Russia II. 13 They cure their wounds with Spunk or Tinder.
1755 Philos. Trans. 1754 (Royal Soc.) 48 811 Of which [sc. fungus] touchwood or spunk, and the amadoue ordinaire of the French, is usually prepared.
1796 Hist. Ned Evans II. 141 By rubbing them with pounded gun-powder a little damped, he formed a kind of spunk, which kindled like a squib.
1841 G. Catlin Lett. N. Amer. Indians I. xxi. 147 It contained also his flint and steel, and spunk for lighting.
1841 G. Catlin Lett. N. Amer. Indians I. xxiii. 189 A spark of fire is seen and caught in a piece of spunk.
1858 P. L. Simmonds Dict. Trade Products 9/2 Amadou..dipped in a solution of saltpetre, forms the spunk or German tinder of commerce.
3. One or other of various fungi or fungoid growths on trees, esp. those of the species Polyporus, frequently used in the preparation of tinder. Cf. touchwood n. 2.
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the world > plants > particular plants > fungi > [noun] > names applied to various types
spunk1665
black knot1840
parasol1870
earth-ball1925
1665 R. Hooke Micrographia 139 A kind of Jews-ear, or Mushroom, growing..on several sorts of Trees, such as Elders, Maples, Willows, etc.,..commonly called by the name of spunk.
1674 J. Josselyn Acct. Two Voy. 70 There is an excrescence growing out of the body of the Tree called spunck, or dead mens Caps.
1822 J. M. Good Study Med. I. 45 The best ordinary styptic is pressure with an elastic substance, as..touch-wood, spunk, or some other spongy boletus.
1845–50 A. H. Lincoln Familiar Lect. Bot. (new ed.) 199 The genus Boletus contains the touchwood, or spunk, which is sometimes used as tinder.
1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 1089/1 Spunk, Polyporus igniarius.
4. Scottish (and northern). A slender slip of wood tipped with brimstone and used for conveying or producing fire; a match, a lucifer.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > material for igniting > [noun] > match, spill, or taper for lighting
wax tapera1398
match1519
brimstone match1594
card match1654
spunk1755
light1787
spill1821
lighter1828
candle-paper1829
fidibus1829
Promethean1829
sulphur-match1830
pipelight1842
candle-lighter1855
kitchen match1862
spiller1936
1755 S. Johnson Dict. Eng. Lang. Sponk, a word in Edinburgh which denotes a match, or any thing dipt in sulphur that takes fire: as, any sponks will ye buy?
1788 G. Wilson Coll. Masonic Songs 52 The spunks tipt with brimstone he gropt for, In order to light him a candle.
1821 W. Scott Pirate I. vii. 146 There is a gathering peat on the kitchen fire, and a spunk beside it—ye can light your ain candle.
1842 J. Aiton Domest. Econ. (1857) 263 The prowling thief enters the byre with a bag and brimstoned spunk.
1892 ‘G. Travers’ Mona Maclean II. xxviii. 127 Come and put a spunk to this fire.
5. in extended use.1822 J. Galt Provost xxxi. 238 The bailie, like a bantam cock in a passion, stotted out of his chair with the spunk of a birslet pea.
a. Spirit, mettle; courage, pluck.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > courage > spirit > [noun]
hearteOE
spirita1382
fierceness1490
stomach?1529
spritec1540
fire1579
mettle1581
rage1590
brave-spiritednessa1617
lion-heart1667
game1747
spunk1773
pluck1785
gameness1810
ginger1836
pluckiness1846
gimp1901
ticker1930
cojones1932
1773 O. Goldsmith She stoops to Conquer i. 11 The 'Squire has got spunk in him.
1775 S. J. Pratt Liberal Opinions (1783) IV. cxvii. 94 Those grave persons, who want taste, or (as these young gentlemen more elegantly term it) spunk, for such exercises.
1781 Compl. Mod. London Spy 24 They allowed that I had blood, but wanted spunk and spirit.
1802 J. Bentham Panopt. in Wks. (1843) XI. 131 If Lord Henry had stuff and spunk enough in him for such business.
1857 J. G. Holland Bay-path xxiv. 285 I like your spunk, but it don't count in a fight with crazy folks and fools.
1890 W. C. Russell My Shipmate Louise I. x. 213 Neither of them wanting spunk, at it they went!
b. fellow, man, etc., of (..) spunk.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > courage > spirit > [noun] > one who is spirited
gamecock1653
fellow, man, etc., of (‥) spunk1774
spunkie1806
sass-box2015
1774 Westm. Mag. 2 10 He is a fellow of Spanish spunk, and will run any man through the body, who dares to censure his portraits.
?a1786 R. Burns Poems & Songs (1968) I. 205 With an air, That show'd a man o' spunk.
1812 Sporting Mag. 39 245 'Twas a shame That a lad of my spunk should be coop'd up so tame.
1834 S. Smith Sel. Lett. Major Jack Downing lxviii. 178 You are a man of spunk, Major, and I like you for it.
c. coarse slang. Seminal fluid. For the sense development, compare the obsolete slang mettle, which had the same meaning.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > biological processes > procreation or reproduction > reproductive substances or cells > [noun] > sperm > semen
seedOE
naturec1390
semena1398
kindc1400
semence1480
mettle1612
egg-fry1674
ammunition1695
spunkc1890
jism1899
scum1967
c1890 My Secret Life I. 87 It seemed to me scarcely possible, that the sweet, well dressed, smooth-spoken ladies..could let men put the spunk up their cunts.
1896 A. Beardsley Let. 21 Dec. (1970) 236 She played dirty tricks... Till the spunk trickled right down her femur.
1923 J. Manchon Le Slang 289 Spunk,..2° courage, vivacité, feu; on dit de préférence mettle, parce que 3° O[bscène] (= come, s.).
1971 B. W. Aldiss Soldier Erect 196 By sprawling right back on the seat and ignoring the stink of the shit-pit below me, I managed in no time to lob some spurts of spunk over my stomach, with some relief.
1978 J. Irving World according to Garp ii. 32 The boys were beating off, in turn, and rushing with their hot spunk in their hands to the microscopes in the infirmary lab—to see if they were sterile.
Compounds
C1. attributive, chiefly in sense 4, as spunk-maker, spunk-seller, spunk-wood.
ΚΠ
1828 D. M. Moir Life Mansie Wauch xx. 290 Hiring beds at twopence a-night to..spunk-makers, and such like pick-pockets.
1888 J. M. Barrie Auld Licht Idylls xii An itinerant matchseller known..as the literary spunk-seller.
1888 A. Wardrop Poems & Sketches 213 I'll ding the business into spunkwood.
C2.
spunk-box n. a tinder-box or matchbox.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > material for igniting > [noun] > container or holder for tinder or matches
tinder-box1530
firebox1555
tinder1570
linstock1575
funk horn1673
spunk-box1721
phosphorus box1792
light box1816
spunk-flask1835
match-bottle1839
matchbox1853
match-pot1856
match-safe1860
punk-box1862
match-stand1873
match holder1884
book1899
safety box1902
matchbook1937
1721 A. Ramsay Lucky Spence v Gin he likes to light his match At your spunk-box.
spunk-fencer n. slang a match-seller.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > selling > seller > sellers of specific things > [noun] > seller of matches
match-man1612
match-seller1754
match-boy1819
match girl1828
spunk-fencer1839
1839 H. Brandon Dict. Flash or Cant Lang. in W. A. Miles Poverty, Mendicity & Crime 165/2 Spunk-fencers, match sellers.
spunk-flask n. a tinder-flask.
ΘΚΠ
society > occupation and work > materials > fuel > material for igniting > [noun] > container or holder for tinder or matches
tinder-box1530
firebox1555
tinder1570
linstock1575
funk horn1673
spunk-box1721
phosphorus box1792
light box1816
spunk-flask1835
match-bottle1839
matchbox1853
match-pot1856
match-safe1860
punk-box1862
match-stand1873
match holder1884
book1899
safety box1902
matchbook1937
1835 J. Monteath Dunblane Trad. (1887) 122 His Spunk-flask at his hurdies hung.
spunk-water n. U.S. rainwater that collects in hollow tree-stumps, formerly believed to be a cure for warts.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the earth > water > lake > small body or puddle > [noun] > rainwater in tree-stump
spunk-water1876
stump water1892
the world > health and disease > healing > medical treatment > treatments using water > [noun] > rain-water
spunk-water1876
1876 ‘M. Twain’ Adventures Tom Sawyer vi. 65 Talk about trying to cure warts with spunk-water such a blame-fool way as that!
1949 Time 29 Aug. 7/2 Spunk-water, spunk-water, wash away my warts!
Draft additions 1993
Australian slang. A sexually attractive person; frequently as young spunk.
ΘΚΠ
the world > physical sensation > sexual relations > sexual desire > [noun] > that which excites > sexually exciting person > specifically male
hunk1966
bimbo1977
spunk1978
himbo1988
1978 J. Rowe Warlords 205 I can always round up a boatload of horny looking young spunks, but there's no guarantees for old gits like us from the amateurs.
1982 Sydney Morning Herald 18 Sept. 1/2 Teenagers still rage at weekends, check out spunks of both sexes and try to avoid hassles with the olds.
1985 Truckin' Life Apr. 113/2 Just as we're pullin' through the outskirts of town, there it is; a right spunk, a nubile nymph lookin' for somewhere to go and no-one to take her there.
1986 Sunday Mail (Brisbane) 25 Oct. 80/5 No matter how skittish she might feel, old girls of 59 mustn't even flutter an eyelash at a young spunk.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
† spunkadj.
Obsolete.
= spunky adj.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > courage > spirit > [adjective]
braga1350
animose?a1425
heartlya1450
stomachous1547
bold-spirited1597
mettled1599
mettle1606
animous1609
stomachful1610
stomachious1611
brave-spiriteda1617
mettlesome1673
game1752
spunky1786
spunk1788
gamelike1804
good-woolled1846
plucked1846
bold-hearted1847
gamey1849
gameful1853
gutsy1893
feisty1896
gutty1953
1788 J. Palmer in Parl. P. (1812–3) IV. 69 I hope the old woman may be spunk, and refuse to apologize.
1810 Spirit of Public Jrnls. 13 177 Every thing spunk and giggish.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online March 2021).
spunkv.
/spʌŋk/, U.S. /spəŋk/ 1. intransitive. To leak out, to become known. Scottish.
ΘΚΠ
society > communication > manifestation > disclosure or revelation > disclose or make revelations [verb (intransitive)] > be disclosed or revealed
to come to (also in, on) (the) lightOE
sutelea1000
kitheOE
unfoldc1350
disclosea1513
burst1542
to break up1584
to take vent1611
vent1622
bleed1645
emerge1664
to get (also have) vent1668
to get or take wind1668
to stand (appear) confessed1708
eclat1736
perspire1748
transpire1748
to come out1751
develop1805
unroll1807
spunk1808
effloresce1834
to come to the front1871
to show up1879
out1894
evolve1920
to come or crawl out of the woodwork1964
1808 in J. Jamieson Etymol. Dict. Sc. Lang.
1820 J. Hogg Shepherd's Cal. (1829) I. 28 It at last spunkit out that Rob Dodds had got hame safe enough.
1822 J. Galt Sir Andrew Wylie II. v. 52 It might be detrimental if ony thing were to spunk out.
a1843 J. Stewart Sketches Sc. Char. (1857) 43 (E.D.D.) It spunkit oot I'd gat a letter frae Dr. Quibbles.
2. With up.
a. U.S. To show spunk or spirit; to stand up, assert oneself spiritedly or courageously.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > courage > spirit > show spirit [verb]
to do musterc1400
to stand true vermin1834
spunkc1850
c1850 ‘Dow, Jr.’ in W. Jerdan Yankee Humour (1853) 109 Just spunk up to the old codger—let him know you are not afraid of him.
1866 Harvard Mem. Biogr. II. 7 Sometimes I feel as if I must lie down;..but I ‘spunk up’ and have thus far held out.
1898 E. N. Westcott David Harum xxii. 202 Then he spunked up some an' says [etc.].
b. Scottish. To blaze or fire up in anger or passion.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > anger > [verb (intransitive)] > become angry
wrethec900
wrothc975
abelghec1300
to move one's blood (also mood)c1330
to peck moodc1330
gremec1460
to take firea1513
fumec1522
sourdc1540
spitec1560
to set up the heckle1601
fire1604
exasperate1659
to fire up1779
to flash up1822
to get one's dander up1831
to fly (occasionally jump, etc.) off (at) the handle1832
to have (also get) one's monkey up1833
to cut up rough, rusty, savage1837
rile1837
to go off the handle1839
to flare up1840
to set one's back up1845
to run hot1855
to wax up1859
to get one's rag out1862
blow1871
to get (also have) the pricker1871
to turn up rough1872
to get the needle1874
to blaze up1878
to get wet1898
spunk1898
to see red1901
to go crook1911
to get ignorant1913
to hit the ceiling1914
to hit the roof1921
to blow one's top1928
to lose one's rag1928
to lose one's haira1930
to go up in smoke1933
hackle1935
to have, get a cob on1937
to pop (also blow) one's cork1938
to go hostile1941
to go sparec1942
to do one's bun1944
to lose one's wool1944
to blow one's stack1947
to go (also do) one's (also a) dingerc1950
rear1953
to get on ignorant1956
to go through the roof1958
to keep (also blow, lose) one's cool1964
to lose ita1969
to blow a gasket1975
to throw a wobbler1985
1898 N. Munro John Splendid viii. 86 He spunked up like tinder. ‘Do you call me a liar?’ he said.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1915; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.c1540
adj.1788
v.1808