n. [ AS. forc, fr. L. furca. Cf. Fourché, Furcate. ] 1. An instrument consisting of a handle with a shank terminating in two or more prongs or tines, which are usually of metal, parallel and slightly curved; -- used for piercing, holding, taking up, or pitching anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything furcate or like a fork in shape, or furcate at the extremity; as, a tuning fork. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One of the parts into which anything is furcated or divided; a prong; a branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a barbed point, as of an arrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let it fall . . . though the fork invade
The region of my heart. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

A thunderbolt with three forks. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The place where a division or a union occurs; the angle or opening between two branches or limbs; as, the fork of a river, a tree, or a road. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The gibbet. [ Obs. ] Bp. Butler. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fork beam (Shipbuilding), a half beam to support a deck, where hatchways occur. --
Fork chuck (Wood Turning), a lathe center having two prongs for driving the work. --
Fork head. (a) The barbed head of an arrow. (b) The forked end of a rod which forms part of a knuckle joint. --
In fork. (Mining) A mine is said to be in fork, or an engine to “have the water in fork, ” when all the water is drawn out of the mine. Ure. --
The forks of a river or
The forks of a road, the branches into which it divides, or which come together to form it; the place where separation or union takes place. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Forked p. pr. & vb. n. Forking. ] 1. To shoot into blades, as corn. [ 1913 Webster ]

The corn beginneth to fork. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To divide into two or more branches; as, a road, a tree, or a stream forks. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To raise, or pitch with a fork, as hay; to dig or turn over with a fork, as the soil. [ 1913 Webster ]

Forking the sheaves on the high-laden cart. Prof. Wilson. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fork over
To fork out, to hand or pay over, as money; to cough up. [ Slang ] G. Eliot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) A European fish (Raniceps raninus), having a large flat head; -- also called tadpole fish, and lesser forked beard. (b) The European forked hake or hake's-dame (Phycis blennoides); -- also called great forked beard. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Formed into a forklike shape; having a fork; dividing into two or more prongs or branches; furcated; bifurcated; zigzag; as, the forked lighting. [ 1913 Webster ]

A serpent seen, with forked tongue. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having a double meaning; ambiguous; equivocal. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cross forked (Her.), a cross, the ends of whose arms are divided into two sharp points; -- called also cross double fitché. A cross forked of three points is a cross, each of whose arms terminates in three sharp points. --
Forked counsel, advice pointing more than one way; ambiguous advice. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson.

-- Fork"ed*ly adv. -- Fork"ed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Obs. ] See Forcarve, v. t. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state or dividing in a forklike manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no fork. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) One of several Asiatic and East Indian passerine birds, belonging to Enucurus, and allied genera. The tail is deeply forked. (b) A salmon in its fourth year's growth. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having the outer tail feathers longer than the median ones; swallow-tailed; -- said of many birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fork-tailed flycatcher (Zool.), a tropical American flycatcher (Milvulus tyrannus). --
Fork-tailed gull (Zool.), a gull of the genus Xema, of two species, esp. X. Sabinii of the Arctic Ocean. --
Fork-tailed kite (Zool.), a graceful American kite (Elanoides forficatus); -- called also swallow-tailed kite. [ 1913 Webster ]