Funk
Funk (funk) , noun
[Old English funke a little fire; akin to Prov. English funk touchwood, German funke spark, and perh. to Gothic fōn fire.]
1.
An offensive smell; a stench. [Low]
2.
One who funks; a shirk; a coward. [Colloquial]
3.
a state of fear.
4.
a mildly depressed state of mind; -- often used in the phrase blue funk.
Funk (funk) , noun
an earthy, seemingly unsophisticated style of jazz music having elements of black American blues and gospel.
Funk , transitive verb
1.
To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke. [Obsolete] — King
2.
To funk at; to flinch at; to shrink from (a thing or person); as, to funk a task. [Colloquial]
3.
To frighten; to cause to flinch. [Colloquial]
Funk , intransitive verb
1.
To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
2.
To be frightened, and shrink back; to flinch; as, to funk at the edge of a precipice. [Colloquial] — C. Kingsley
To funk right out o' political strife.
Collocations (1)
To funk out , to back out in a cowardly fashion. [Colloquial]
Funk , noun
A shrinking back through fear. [Colloquial]
The horrid panic, or funk (as the men of Eton call it).
Also: Funking