Etymology

plonk

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Today it means: The sound made by something solid landing. Full definition →

First used in the 1970sFrench vin blanc
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plonk · interjection, noun, verb, adverb1

Onomatopoeic. Compare plunk.

plonk · noun2

  1. French · derived fromvin blanc“white wine”
  2. English todayplonk

From WWI military slang, derived by alteration of French vin blanc (“white wine”). Recorded earliest in the playful rhyming slang form plinketty-plonk. Possibly influenced by the sound of wine being poured into a glass.

plonk · noun3

Probably a shortening of plonker.

First known use, by meaning

  • in the 1970s A female police constable.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.