Word
kirk
/ˈkɝk/
Definitions
01a church building
n. a word for a church, used mostly in Scotland and Northern England.
n. a church building or congregation. Used primarily in Scottish and Northern English dialects.
“The old stone kirk stands on the hill overlooking the village.”
“The villagers gathered at the local kirk for the Sunday service, maintaining a tradition that had lasted for centuries.”
British English · Dialect
Usage
Used as a common noun, often preceded by 'the'.
02the Church of Scotland
n. the national church of Scotland.
n. the Church of Scotland as an institution. Often capitalized as 'the Kirk'.
“He was a dedicated member of the Kirk for his entire life.”
“The General Assembly of the Kirk met in Edinburgh to discuss matters of national importance.”
British English · Dialect
Usage
Usually capitalized when referring to the specific national institution.
03to kill
v. to kill or murder someone, usually for political reasons.
v. to assassinate or kill, particularly in a political context. This usage is highly informal and restricted to specific slang registers.
“The movie was about a secret agent sent to kirk a corrupt leader.”
“The plot involved a rogue operative attempting to kirk the prime minister during the summit.”
Slang
Usage
Transitive verb taking a direct object.
Synonyms
Etymology
From kirk (“church”). Doublet of Church. The sense meaning fellatio is derived from the shooting of Charlie Kirk, as he was shot in the neck (“fellatio”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.