lark

== English == === Alternative forms === laverock, lavrock === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) enPR: läk, IPA(key): /lɑːk/ (General American) enPR: lärk, IPA(key): /lɑɹk/ Rhymes: -ɑː(ɹ)k (non-rhotic) Homophones: lakh (one pronunciation); lawk (cot–caught merger); lock, Locke (father-bother merger) === Etymology 1 === From Middle English larke, laverke, from Old English lāwerce, lǣwerce, lāuricæ, from Proto-West Germanic *laiwaʀikā, from Proto-Germanic *laiwazikǭ (compare dialectal West Frisian larts, Dutch leeuwerik, German Lerche), from *laiwaz (borrowed into Finnish leivo, Estonian lõo), of unknown ultimate origin with no definitive cognates outside of Germanic. ==== Noun ==== lark (plural larks) Any of various small, singing passerine birds of the family Alaudidae. Any of various similar-appearing birds, but usually ground-living, such as the meadowlark and titlark. (by extension) One who wakes early; one who is up with the larks. Synonyms: early bird, early riser Antonym: owl A jolly or peppy person. ===== Hyponyms ===== (species in Alaudidae): woodlark, skylark, magpie-lark, horned lark, sea lark, crested lark, shorelark ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== lark (third-person singular simple present larks, present participle larking, simple past and past participle larked) (intransitive) To catch larks (a type of bird). ==== References ==== lark on Wikipedia.Wikipedia Category:Alaudidae on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons Alaudidae on Wikispecies.Wikispecies === Etymology 2 === Uncertain, either from a northern English dialectal term lake / laik (“to play”) (around 1300, from Old Norse leika (“to play (as opposed to work)”)), with an intrusive -r- as is common in southern British dialects; or a shortening of skylark (1809), sailors' slang, "play roughly in the rigging of a ship", because the common European larks were proverbial for high-flying; Dutch has a similar idea in speelvogel (“playbird, a person of markedly playful nature”). ==== Noun ==== lark (plural larks) A frolic or romp, some fun. A prank. ===== Synonyms ===== whim, especially in phrase on a whim, see also Thesaurus:whim ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== skylark (in verb sense "play") ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== lark (third-person singular simple present larks, present participle larking, simple past and past participle larked) To sport, engage in harmless pranking. To frolic, engage in carefree adventure. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== References ==== Douglas Harper (2001–2026), “lark”, in Online Etymology Dictionary. “lark” in Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary: Based on Webster’s Third New International Dictionary, 7th edition, Springfield, Mass.: G[eorge] & C[harles] Merriam, 1963 (1967 printing), →OCLC. === Anagrams === Klar, klar, kral, Karl, Kral == Woiwurrung == === Noun === lark heavens === See also === laak (“cloud”) === References ===