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Entry 11 senses · 5 variants Webster, 1913

Funk

/(fŭṉk)/ · IPA /fʌŋk/
01 n. An offensive smell; a stench.
  1. 1.
    An offensive smell; a stench.[Low]
  2. 2.
    One who funks; a shirk; a coward.[Colloq.]
  3. 3.
    a state of fear.
  4. 4.
    a mildly depressed state of mind; -- often used in the phrase blue funk. Also: blue funk
02 n. an earthy, seemingly unsophisticated style of jazz music having elements of black American blues and gospel.
  1. 1.
    an earthy, seemingly unsophisticated style of jazz music having elements of black American blues and gospel.
03 v. t. To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke.
  1. 1.
    To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke.[Obs.]
  2. 2.
    To funk at; to flinch at; to shrink from (a thing or person); as, to funk a task.[Colloq.]
  3. 3.
    To frighten; to cause to flinch.[Colloq.]
04 v. i. To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
  1. 1.
    To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
  2. 2.
    To be frightened, and shrink back; to flinch; as, to funk at the edge of a precipice.[Colloq.]
    “To funk right out o' political strife.” — Lowell (Biglow Papers).
Phrases & compounds
To funk out — to back out in a cowardly fashion.
05 n. A shrinking back through fear.
  1. 1.
    A shrinking back through fear.[Colloq.]