SPUNK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does spunk mean? 

• SPUNK (noun)
  The noun SPUNK has 2 senses:

1. material for starting a fire

2. the courage to carry on

  Familiarity information: SPUNK used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SPUNK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Material for starting a fire

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

kindling; punk; spunk; tinder; touchwood

Hypernyms ("spunk" is a kind of...):

igniter; ignitor; lighter (a substance used to ignite or kindle a fire)

Sense 2

Meaning:

The courage to carry on

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

heart; mettle; nerve; spunk

Context example:

you haven't got the heart for baseball

Hypernyms ("spunk" is a kind of...):

braveness; bravery; courage; courageousness (a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear)

Derivation:

spunky (willing to face danger)

spunky (showing courage)

 Context examples 

Weedon Scott reading the letter down in Circle City, came upon the following: That dam wolf won't work. Won't eat. Aint got no spunk left. All the dogs is licking him.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

They don’t love us, an’ bloody well glad they’d be a-seein’ us cuttin’ our throats. Yer not ’arf bad, ’Ump! You’ve got spunk, as you Yanks s’y, an’ I like yer in a w’y. So come on an’ shyke.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)