punk

punk · noun, adjective, verb¹

Uncertain. Possibly from punk (“rotten wood dust used as tinder”), attested since 1678, to anything worthless (attested since 1869) and then to any undesirable person (since 1908). The relatively tame 21st century usage of punk (“prank”, verb) was popularized by the American television show Punk'd (2003).

punk · noun²

1. Unami · derived frompunkw“dust”
2. English todaypunk

Unclear; first attested circa 1680 in writings about Native American practices, probably from Unami punkw (“dust”), though it has also been suggested it could be an alteration of spunk (“tinder”) (compare funk (“rotten wood”)).

First known use, by meaning

• 1575 A female prostitute.
• from 1698 A boy or younger man who engages in sexual intercourse by an older man as a (usually passive) homosexual partner.
• from 1893 A boy who accompanies a hobo, especially as used for sex.
• from 1933 A male homosexual.
• from 1946 A man forced or coerced into a homosexual relationship, especially in prison.
• from 1904 A worthless person, particularly
• from 1904 Any person, especially a male comrade.
• from 1904 A petty criminal, especially a juvenile delinquent.