punk1

[puhngk] /pʌŋk/
noun
1.
any prepared substance, usually in stick form, that will smolder and can be used to light fireworks, fuses, etc.
2.
dry, decayed wood that can be used as tinder.
3.
conk3 .
4.
a spongy substance derived from fungi; amadou; touchwood.
Origin
1680-90, Americanism; origin uncertain

punk2

[puhngk] /pʌŋk/
noun
1.
Slang.
  1. something or someone worthless or unimportant.
  2. a young ruffian; hoodlum.
  3. an inexperienced youth.
  4. a young male partner of a homosexual.
  5. an apprentice, especially in the building trades.
  6. Prison Slang. a boy.
2.
punk rock.
3.
a style or movement characterized by the adoption of aggressively unconventional and often bizarre or shocking clothing, hairstyles, makeup, etc., and the defiance of social norms of behavior, usually associated with punk rock musicians and fans.
4.
a punker.
5.
Archaic. a prostitute.
adjective
6.
Informal. poor in quality or condition.
7.
of, pertaining to, or characteristic of punk rock:
a punk band.
8.
pertaining to, characteristic of, or adopting punk styles:
punk youths; punk hairstyles in various colors.
Origin
1590-1600; of obscure origin; the sense development is apparently “prostitute” > “catamite” > “hoodlum”; the adj. “poor in quality” (1896) is unclearly derived and perhaps a distinct word
Examples from the web for punk
  • Madness and others put a punk rock twist on the style.
  • Over time, big money and street culture embraced the punk method and have adopted it as their way of life.
  • The media often stereotype punk as being violent, drug-fueled and nihilistic.
  • He was influenced mainly by reggae, jazz and punk rock.
  • He's hoping to punk a lot of self-loathing academics because he can't get published.
  • In the apartment the grind of punk rock guitars and the evening news.
  • punk bands sneered at prog rockers who recorded epic odysseys lasting sometimes for an entire side of an album.
  • punk rock may turn out to be as durable as the blues.
  • Dismembered tentacles mope in the attic listening to punk music.
  • In the news, punk kids wearing it on their knapsacks.
British Dictionary definitions for punk

punk1

/pʌŋk/
noun
1.
  1. a youth movement of the late 1970s, characterized by anti-Establishment slogans and outrageous clothes and hairstyles
  2. an adherent of punk
  3. short for punk rock
  4. (as modifier): a punk record
2.
an inferior, rotten, or worthless person or thing
3.
worthless articles collectively
4.
a petty criminal or hoodlum
5.
(obsolete) a young male homosexual; catamite
6.
(obsolete) a prostitute
adjective
7.
inferior, rotten, or worthless
Derived Forms
punkish, adjective
Word Origin
C16: via Polari from Spanish pu(n)ta prostitute,pu(n)to male prostitute

punk2

/pʌŋk/
noun
1.
dried decayed wood that smoulders when ignited: used as tinder
2.
any of various other substances that smoulder when ignited, esp one used to light fireworks
Word Origin
C18: of uncertain origin
Word Origin and History for punk
adj.

"inferior, bad," 1896, also as a noun, "something worthless," earlier "rotten wood used as tinder" (1680s), "A word in common use in New England, as well as in the other Northern States and Canada" [Bartlett]; perhaps from Delaware (Algonquian) ponk, literally "dust, powder, ashes;" but Gaelic spong "tinder" also has been suggested (cf. spunk "touchwood, tinder," 1580s).

n.

"Chinese incense," 1870, from punk (adj.).

"worthless person" (especially a young hoodlum), 1917, probably from punk kid "criminal's apprentice," underworld slang first attested 1904 (with overtones of "catamite"). Ultimately from punk (n.1) or else from punk "prostitute, harlot, strumpet," first recorded 1590s, of unknown origin.

For sense shift from "harlot" to "homosexual," cf. gay. By 1923 used generally for "young boy, inexperienced person" (originally in show business, e.g. punk day, circus slang from 1930, "day when children are admitted free"). The verb meaning "to back out of" is from 1920.

The "young criminal" sense is no doubt the inspiration in punk rock first attested 1971 (in a Dave Marsh article in "Creem," referring to Rudi "Question Mark" Martinez); popularized 1976.

If you looked different, people tried to intimidate you all the time. It was the same kind of crap you had to put up with as a hippie, when people started growing long hair. Only now it was the guys with the long hair yelling at you. You think they would have learned something. I had this extreme parrot red hair and I got hassled so much I carried a sign that said "FUCK YOU ASSHOLE." I got so tired of yelling it, I would just hold up the sign. [Bobby Startup, Philadelphia punk DJ, "Philadelphia Weekly," Oct. 10, 2001]

punk in Culture

punk definition


A type of rock 'n' roll with loud, energetic music and often harsh lyrics criticizing traditional society and culture. It was named after the punks, an anarchistic youth movement that surfaced in Great Britain in the 1970s.

Slang definitions & phrases for punk

punk 1

noun
  1. A catamite; young companion of a sodomite; gunsel1 (1904+)
  2. (also punk kid) Any young or inexperienced person; boy; kid: Sparky was always a fresh punk (mid-1920s+)
  3. A petty hoodlum; meager minor tough or criminal: to emphasize just how tough a Division Street punk could be (1917+)
  4. Any inferior, insignificant person, like an ineffective fighter, jockey, pool player, waiter, porter, etc (1917+)
  5. Any young circus animal (1926+ Circus)
verb

To sodomize; do anal sex to; bugger, cornhole: The guy peeled off Tate's pants and punked him (1970s+)

[ultimately fr 1500s British, ''prostitute, harlot,'' of unknown origin]


punk 2

adjective

Inferior;poor; bad: The idea strikes me as punk (1896+)

modifier

: the punk workers who sell corn removers

noun
  1. Bread (1891+)
  2. A patent medicine (1940s+)

[probably early 1700s, ''rotting wood, touchwood,'' of unknown origin, usu taken to be fr spunk, of the same meaning, fr Gaelic spong, ''tinder'']


punk 3

adjective

: The atmosphere in North London's pubs is really punk

noun

(also punker) An adherent to a style of dress and behavior marked by seemingly threatening, dangerous, and aggressive attributes, such as safety pins worn through ear lobes, razor blades around the neck, and torn clothes: In the beginning, punk wasn't just fashion. Punk was outrage (1976+)

[originally meant to be reminiscent of the hoodlums called punks in the 1950s, but soon an independent style]