Etymology

bork

B3O1R1K5

Today it means: To defeat a person's appointment or election, judicial nomination, etc., through a concerted attack on the person's character, background, and philosophy. Full definition →

First used 1987
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bork · verb1

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

bork · verb2

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

bork · noun3

From the species name of Pagothenia borchgrevinki.

bork · noun, verb4

Mutation of bark.

bork · verb5

Perhaps from a blend of boink + pork.

bork · verb6

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

First known use, by meaning

  • from 1987 To defeat a person's appointment or election, judicial nomination, etc., through a concerted attack on the person's character, background, and philosophy.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.