*SET-U

English word origin

Etymology of bork

A reference to the unsuccessful 1987 United States Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork (1927–2012); first appeared in print that same year.

6 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗
In this entry · 6 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗
verb

To defeat a person's appointment or election, judicial nomination, etc., through a concerted attack on the person's character, background, and philosophy.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

A reference to the unsuccessful 1987 United States Supreme Court nomination of Robert Bork (1927–2012); first appeared in print that same year.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗
verb

To misconfigure, break, or damage, especially a computer or other complex device. · To become broken or damaged, especially of a computer or other complex device.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Possibly derived from borken, a deliberate misspelling of the word broken used in ironic or humorous contexts; or from the usage described under “Etymology 1” above. Alternatively, sourced from the Muppet's Swedish Chef, see Swedish Chef

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "#Etymology 1"
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗
noun

The bald notothen or bald rockcod (Pagothenia borchgrevinki), a species of cod icefish (Nototheniidae) native to the Southern Ocean.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

From the species name of Pagothenia borchgrevinki.

Inspect preserved source fields

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Source etymology 4

Original entry ↗
verb

Of a dog, to bark.

noun

The sound that a dog makes.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Mutation of bark.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 5

Original entry ↗
verb

To boink; to have sex with.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Perhaps from a blend of boink + pork.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Source etymology 6

Original entry ↗
verb

To retch or vomit.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Onomatopoeic, representing the sound of vomiting. Possibly related to boak.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for bork →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger
Machine-source provenance
Source SHA-256
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Import run
73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID
w-Ym9yaw