fork

fork¹ [fo:k US fo:rk] n

↑fork, ↑knife, ↑spoon

[: Old English; Origin: forca, from Latin furca]

1.) a tool you use for picking up and eating food, with a handle and three or four points

▪ Put the knives and forks on the table.

2.) a garden tool used for digging, with a handle and three or four points

3.) a place where a road, river, or tree divides into two parts, or one of the parts it divides into

▪ the north fork of the Sacramento river

▪ Take the left fork then go straight on.

4.) fork of lightning

a sudden flash of ↑lightning with two or more lines of light

5.) one of the two metal bars between which the front wheel of a bicycle or ↑motorcycle is fixed

→↑tuning fork

fork ²

fork² v

1.) also fork off

if a road, river etc forks, it divides into two parts

→↑divide, split ↑split

▪ The path forked off in two directions.

2.) fork (off) left/right

to go left or right when a road divides into two parts

= ↑turn

▪ Fork left at the bottom of the hill.

3.) [T always + adverb/preposition]

to put food into your mouth or onto a plate using a fork

fork sth into/onto etc sth

▪ He forked some bacon into his mouth.

4.) [T always + adverb/preposition]

to put ↑manure into soil or to move soil around using a large garden fork

fork sth in/over etc

▪ In November, the soil should be forked over.

fork out () [fork out (sth)] [i]phr v

to spend a lot of money on something, not because you want to but because you have to

fork out (something) for/on

▪ I had to fork out £600 on my car when I had it serviced.

▪ We don't want to have to fork out for an expensive meal.

fork over [fork sth<=>over] phr v

to give money to someone or something, or spend money on something

▪ The arena won't be finished until private donors fork over more money.