Standard Lemma guide

forked

adj · verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /fɔː(ɹ)kt/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɔː(ɹ)kt
  • CMU ARPABET: F AO1 R K T Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

That splits into two or more directions, or parts.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • It's a forked road. Turn left at the fork.
  • A baidarka has a forked bow.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having forks (parts into which anything is furcated or divided).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • A three-forked trident.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

verb

Meaning 3

simple past and past participle of fork

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: form-of, participle, past

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

adjective satellite

Meaning 4

having two meanings with intent to deceive

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • a sly double meaning
  • spoke with forked tongue

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: double

Antonyms: none provided

5

adjective satellite

Meaning 5

resembling a fork; divided or separated into two branches

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the biramous appendages of an arthropod
  • long branched hairs on its legson which pollen collects
  • a forked river
  • a forked tail
  • forked lightning
  • horseradish grown in poor soil may develop prongy roots

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: bifurcate, biramous, branched, fork-like, forficate, pronged, prongy

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

15 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: разклонен (razklonen) — that splits
  • Bulgarian: чаталест (čatalest) — that splits
  • Finnish: haarautuva — that splits
  • Finnish: halkipäinen — that splits
  • Galician: forcado — that splits
  • Ancient Greek: δίκροος (díkroos) — that splits
  • Ancient Greek: σχιστός (skhistós) — that splits
  • Irish: glacach — that splits
  • Italian: biforcuto — that splits
  • Latin: bifidus — that splits
  • Māori: tokorera — that splits
  • Māori: tokomanga — that splits
  • Polish: rozwidlony — that splits
  • Punjabi: ਦੁਸਾਂਘੜ (dusāṅghaṛ) — that splits
  • Welsh: fforchog — that splits
Real reading context

forked in complete knowledge articles