girk

From Middle English ȝerken (“to move suddenly, excite, bind tightly, attack”), from Old English ġearcian (“to prepare, make ready”). Cognate with jerk and yerk.

girk (third-person singular simple present girks, present participle girking, simple past and past participle girked)

1. (archaic) To jerk, yerk.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:girk.

girk (plural girks)

1. (archaic) A sudden or quick thrust or motion; a jerk.
   • For quotations using this term, see Citations:girk.

• James A. H. Murray et al., editors (1884–1928), “Girk”, in A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles (Oxford English Dictionary), volume IV (F–G), London: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 178, column 1: “obs. form of Jerk sb. and v.”