What does "conk" mean?
The shelf- or bracket-shaped fruiting body of a bracket fungus (also called a shelf fungus), i.e. a mushroom growing off a tree trunk.
Conk
/kɒŋk/ noun, verb, slang
noun, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: The shelf- or bracket-shaped fruiting body of a bracket fungus (also called a shelf fungus), i.e. a mushroom growing off a tree trunk.
- Grammar: conk is listed as noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: barber, bash, beak, bean.
- Useful contrasts: awake, evade, foot.
- Usage evidence: The Spitfire's fuel was gravity fed. If you flew upside down, the engine would conk out.
How to use "conk"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "conk" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "conk" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "conk" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "conk" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "conk" is acting as noun, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "barber" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "conk", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 The shelf- or bracket-shaped fruiting body of a bracket fungus (also called a shelf fungus), i.e. a mushroom growing off a tree trunk.
- 2 A hairstyle involving the chemical straightening and styling of kinky hair. US, dated
- 3 informal term for the nose wordnet
- 4 A nose, especially a large one. slang
- 5 Alternative spelling of conch. alt-of, alternative
Verb
- 1 To hit, especially on the head. slang
"She came skipping to me just now, clapping her little hands and bleating about how very, very happy she was, dear Mrs Travers. The silly young geezer. I nearly conked her one with my trowel. I'd always thought her half-baked, but now I think they didn't even put her in the oven."
- 2 To chemically straighten tightly curled hair. US, dated
"The barbecue cook, wearing a dirty white apron, his conked hair reddish and metallic in the pale sun, and a cigarette between his lips, stood in the doorway, watching them."
- 3 To fail or show signs of failing, cease operating, break down. colloquial, often
"Therefore, have two or more engines, so that there is still some power left if one engine conks."
- 4 pass out from weakness, physical or emotional distress due to a loss of blood supply to the brain wordnet
- 5 To become unconscious. colloquial, often
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life wordnet
- 7 hit, especially on the head wordnet
- 8 come to a stop wordnet
Example
"The Spitfire's fuel was gravity fed. If you flew upside down, the engine would conk out."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "conk"?
Common synonyms include: barber, bash, beak, bean, beezer, belfry.
How do you use "conk" in a sentence?
The Spitfire's fuel was gravity fed. If you flew upside down, the engine would conk out.
How do you pronounce "conk"?
Pronounced /kɒŋk/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
Variant or figurative use of conch. Attested since the nineteenth century.
Etymology 2
From congolene, the brand name of a hair-straightening product.
Etymology 3
Unknown. Attested since the early twentieth century.