Adjacent Words

lark definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: North American songbirds having a yellow breast [syn: meadowlark, lark]
2: a songbird that lives mainly on the ground in open country; has streaky brown plumage [syn: pipit, titlark, lark]
3: any of numerous predominantly Old World birds noted for their singing
4: any carefree episode [syn: escapade, lark] v
1: play boisterously; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the playroom" [syn: frolic, lark, rollick, skylark, disport, sport, cavort, gambol, frisk, romp, run around, lark about]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English laveroc, laverke, from Old English l?werce; akin to Old High German l?rihha lark Date: before 12th century any of a family (Alaudidae) of chiefly Old World ground-dwelling songbirds that are usually brownish in color; especially skylark — compare meadowlark II. noun Etymology: ³lark Date: circa 1811 a source of or quest for amusement or adventure <thought life was a lark> <entered the race on a lark> III. intransitive verb Etymology: probably alteration of lake to frolic Date: 1813 to engage in harmless fun or mischief — often used with about • larker noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

1. n. 1 any small bird of the family Alaudidae with brown plumage, elongated hind claws and tuneful song, esp. the skylark. 2 any of various similar birds such as the meadow lark. Etymology: OE laferce, læwerce, of unkn. orig. 2. n. & v. colloq. --n. 1 a frolic or spree; an amusing incident; a joke. 2 Brit. a type of activity, affair, etc. (fed up with this digging lark). --v.intr. (foll. by about) play tricks; frolic. Derivatives: larky adj. larkiness n. Etymology: 19th c.: orig. uncert.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lark Lark, n. [Perh fr. AS. l[=a]c play, sport. Cf. Lake, v. i.] A frolic; a jolly time. [Colloq.] --Dickens.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lark Lark, v. i. To catch larks; as, to go larking.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lark Lark, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Larked; p. pr. & vb. n. Larking.] To sport; to frolic. [Colloq.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Lark Lark, n. [OE. larke, laverock, AS. l[=a]werce; akin to D. leeuwerik, LG. lewerke, OHG. l?rahha, G. lerche, Sw. l["a]rka, Dan. lerke, Icel. l[ae]virki.] (Zo["o]l.) Any one numerous species of singing birds of the genus Alauda and allied genera (family Alaudid[ae]). They mostly belong to Europe, Asia, and Northern Africa. In America they are represented by the shore larks, or horned by the shore larks, or horned larks, of the genus Otocoris. The true larks have holaspidean tarsi, very long hind claws, and usually, dull, sandy brown colors. Note: The European skylark, or lark of the poets (Alauda arvensis), is of a brown mottled color, and is noted for its clear and sweet song, uttered as it rises and descends almost perpendicularly in the air. It is considered a table delicacy, and immense numbers are killed for the markets. Other well-known European species are the crested, or tufted, lark (Alauda cristata), and the wood lark (A. arborea). The pipits, or titlarks, of the genus Anthus (family Motacillid[ae]) are often called larks. See Pipit. The American meadow larks, of the genus Sturnella, are allied to the starlings. See Meadow Lark. The Australian bush lark is Mirafra Horsfieldii. See Shore lark. Lark bunting (Zo["o]l.), a fringilline bird (Calamospiza melanocorys) found on the plains of the Western United States. Lark sparrow (Zo["o]l.), a sparrow (Chondestes grammacus), found in the Mississippi Valley and the Western United States.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(larks) 1. A lark is a small brown bird which makes a pleasant sound. N-COUNT 2. If you say that doing something is a lark, you mean that it is fun, although perhaps naughty or dangerous. The children thought it was a great lark... N-COUNT

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A boat.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

A piece of merriment. People playing together jocosely.

Foolish Dictionary

A short, sweet spree enjoyed by night hawks. Also, an early rising singing-bird. (Dist. bet. "out on a lark," and "up with the lark," an impossible combination).

Moby Thesaurus

Philomel, adventure, antic, bat, bender, binge, bout, bulbul, bust, canary, caper, carousal, carouse, cavort, celebrate, celebration, cuckoo, cut loose, debauch, drinking bout, eagle, escapade, feathered songster, fling, frolic, gambol, game, hell around, horseplay, jape, jollify, jolly, let go, let loose, let off steam, make merry, make whoopee, mavis, mischief, mockingbird, monkeyshine, nightingale, orgy, oriole, play, ploy, practical joke, prank, raise hell, randan, randy, revel, ringdove, rocket, roister, rollick, romp, see life, shenanigan, shenanigans, shines, singing bird, skylark, skyrocket, song sparrow, songbird, songster, sport, spree, step out, tear, thrush, tomfoolery, toot, trick, wanton, warbler, whoop it up, wingding