mawk

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A maggot.
  2. A slattern.

Pronunciation

/mɔːk/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-mawk.wav

Word forms

mawk mawks

Etymology

From Middle English mawke, moke, a contraction of mathek, maddok, from Old Norse maðkr (“maggot”), a diminutive of a base from Proto-Germanic *maþô (“worm”) (compare Old English maþa), from Proto-Indo-European *mat-, *mot- used in reference to insects and vermin. Cognate with Danish maddike, Swedish mask, archaic English maddock (modern maggot).

Derived words

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