York

/jɔː(ɹ)k/ name, verb, slang

name, verb, slang ·Common ·High school level

Meaning at a glance

  • Primary sense: the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
  • Grammar: york is listed as name, verb, slang.
  • Nearest alternatives: city, family name, historic city, historic toronto name.
  • Useful contrasts: countryside, current name for Toronto, first name.
  • Usage evidence: It is out of the question for you to go to New York this weekend.

How to use "york"

  1. Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
  2. Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "york" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
  3. 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 "york" 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 "york" as the right word for your sentence.

If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "york" 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 "york" is acting as name, 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 "city" 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 "york", 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. 1
    the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    to bowl a yorker at a batsman, especially to get a batsman out in this way.
  2. 2
    To vomit. slang

    "BADGER: They're eating blueberry pies... […] Okay, finally, Kirk, he can't take it anymore. He yorks! Now it's just down to Chekov and Spock."

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A placename:; A town and local government area (the Shire of York), in the Wheatbelt region, Western Australia.
  2. 2
    A placename:; A coastal town in Sierra Leone.
  3. 3
    A placename:; A place in the United Kingdom:; A city, unitary authority, and borough of North Yorkshire, England.
  4. 4
    A placename:; A place in the United Kingdom:; A hamlet in Billington and Langho parish, Ribble Valley district, Lancashire, England (OS grid ref SD7033).
  5. 5
    A placename:; A place in Canada:; A neighbourhood of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Show 26 more definitions
  1. 6
    A placename:; A place in Canada:; A regional municipality of Ontario, Canada.
  2. 7
    A placename:; A place in Canada:; A district and former municipality of Toronto, Canada.
  3. 8
    A placename:; A place in Canada:; Former name of Toronto (used before 1834): a city in Ontario, Canada.
  4. 9
    A placename:; A place in Canada:; A community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada.
  5. 10
    A placename:; A place in Canada:; A community and rural municipality of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Canada.
  6. 11
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A city in Sumter County, Alabama.
  7. 12
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Clark County, Illinois.
  8. 13
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Steuben County, Indiana.
  9. 14
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in York County, Maine.
  10. 15
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Atchison County, Missouri.
  11. 16
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A city, the county seat of York County, Nebraska.
  12. 17
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A town in Livingston County, New York.
  13. 18
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A tiny city in Benson County, North Dakota.
  14. 19
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Jefferson County, Ohio.
  15. 20
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Sandusky County, Ohio.
  16. 21
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A city, the county seat of York County, Pennsylvania.
  17. 22
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A city, the county seat of York County, South Carolina.
  18. 23
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A small town in Clark County, Wisconsin.
  19. 24
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A small town in Dane County, Wisconsin.
  20. 25
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A small town in Green County, Wisconsin.
  21. 26
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Jackson County, Wisconsin.
  22. 27
    A placename:; A number of places in the United States:; A number of townships in the United States, listed under York Township.
  23. 28
    A placename:; Ellipsis of York County. abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
  24. 29
    The House of York, a dynasty of English kings and one of the opposing factions involved in the 15th century Wars of the Roses. The name comes from the fact that its members were descended from Edmund of Langley, 1st Duke of York; their symbol was a white rose.
  25. 30
    A royal dukedom traditionally given to the second son of the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.
  26. 31
    A habitational surname from Old English from the city or the county; See also Yorke.

Synonyms

All synonyms
cityfamily namehistoric cityhistoric toronto namehouse of yorklast name

Antonyms

countrysidecurrent name for Torontofirst namegiven name

Example

"It is out of the question for you to go to New York this weekend."

Common questions

What does "york" mean?

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

What is a synonym for "york"?

Common synonyms include: city, family name, historic city, historic toronto name, house of york, last name.

How do you use "york" in a sentence?

It is out of the question for you to go to New York this weekend.

How do you pronounce "york"?

Pronounced /jɔː(ɹ)k/.

Etymology

Etymology 1

Back-formation from yorker.

Etymology 2

Perhaps imitative.

Etymology 3

Etymology tree Proto-Celtic *eburos Proto-Brythonic *eβur Proto-Celtic *-ākos Proto-Brythonic *-ọg Proto-Brythonic *Eβrọgbor. Latin Eborācumder. Old English Eoforwīċder. Old Norse Jórvíkbor. Middle English Ȝork English York From Middle English York, Ȝork, from Old Norse Jórk, Jórvík, from Old English Eoforwīċ, from Latin Eborācum, ultimately from Proto-Brythonic *Eβrọg (“yew”) (compare Welsh Efrog, from Old Welsh Caer Ebrauc, from Proto-Brythonic *Eβrọg), from *eburos (“yew”) + *-ākom (positive suffix). Displaced Middle English Everwik, from the Old English.

More for "york"

Synonyms

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