kyrk

K5Y4R1K5

A form of kirk — A church.

Scrabble 15

Meanings

nounkyrk (countable and uncountable, plural kyrks)

plural kyrks

  1. Northern EnglandScotlandcountableobsoleteuncountableChristianityObsolete spelling of kirk.

    1. First, That Images are not to be had in the Kyrk, nor to be worſhipped.

    1644, John Knox, The Historie of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland; […], London: […] John Raworth for George Thomason and Octavian Pullen […], page 2
    2 more examples

    Saint Ambroſe, when the Emperor invaded his Kyrk, and the people were ready to make reſcue, ſo farre as that the Invaders could not have ſuſtained their force ; […]

    1639, Thomas Lord Bishop of Duresme [i.e., Thomas Morton], “They that reſiſt ſhall receive to themſelves Damnation”, in A Sermon Preached Before the Kings Moſt Excellent Majestie, in the Cathedrall Church of Durham. […], Robert Barker, page 36

    All things given in hoſpitality, all rents pertaining to Prieſts and Chanteries, Colledges, Chappelries, Fryeries of all orders, the ſiſters of the Seynes, all which ought to be retained ſtill in the uſe of the Kyrk. Give them but leave to take their breath, ard expect the reſt: The whole revenues of the temporalties of the Biſhops, Deans, and Arch-deans lands, and all rents pertaining to Cathedral Kyrks. Then ſuppoſing an objection that the poſſeſſours had leaſes and eſtates, they anſwer,that thoſe who made them were thieves and murtherers, and had no power to alienate the common good of the Kyrk.

    1659, Henry Stubbe, A Letter to an Officer of the Army Concerning a Select Senate […], London: […] T. B. […], page 17

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekκυριακόν
  2. Proto-West Germanic*kirikā
  3. Old Englishċiriċe“church”
  4. Old Norsekirkja
  5. Northern Middle Englishkyrk
  6. Englishkyrk

From Northern Middle English kyrk, kyrke, borrowed from Old Norse kirkja, borrowed from Old English ċiriċe (“church”), from Proto-West Germanic *kirikā, an early borrowing of Ancient Greek κυριακόν (kuriakón).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

kyrk. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kyrk

MLA

“kyrk.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kyrk. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kyrk,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kyrk.

Source: kyrk on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.