{ , n. collect. & pl. [ AS. folc; akin to D. volk, OS. & OHG. folk, G. volk, Icel. fōlk, Sw. & Dan. folk, Lith. pulkas crowd, and perh. to E. follow. ] 1. (Eng. Hist.) In Anglo-Saxon times, the people of a group of townships or villages; a community; a tribe. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The organization of each folk, as such, sprang mainly from war. J. R. Green. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. People in general, or a separate class of people; -- generally used in the plural form, and often with a qualifying adjective; as, the old folks; poor folks. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In winter's tedious nights, sit by the fire
With good old folks, and let them tell thee tales. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The persons of one's own family; as, our folks are all well. [ Colloq. New Eng. ] Bartlett. [ 1913 Webster ]

Folk song, one of a class of songs long popular with the common people. --
Folk speech, the speech of the common people, as distinguished from that of the educated class. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. same as cracker-barrel.
Syn. -- cracker-barrel, homespun. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. very informal and familiar; as, a folksy radio commentator; a folksy style. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

/mhw>, n. pl. Persons of gentle or good family and breeding. [ Generally in the United States in the plural form. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]