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Dictionary

Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

keck en · VERB · etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • /kɛk/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Imitative. Compare German köken (“to vomit”).

Meanings

  1. (intransitive) To heave or retch as if to vomit.
    • The faction (is it not notorious?) / Keck at the memory of Glorious [William III of England]: […] 1728, Jonathan Swift, “A Dialogue between Mad Mullinix and Timothy”, in Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, editors, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, […], new edition, volume VII, London: […] J[oseph] Johnson, […], published 1801, →OCLC, page 404:
    • Indeed Erskine never opened his mouth, in Watt's presence, except to eat, or belch, or cough, or keck, or muse, or sigh, or sing, or sneeze. 1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, [Paris]: Olympia Press, →OCLC:

Forms

SpellingFeaturesLabelsSource
kecks Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres lexicographic
kecking Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
kecked Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part lexicographic
kecked Tense=Past lexicographic

Deriveds

keckish

Translations (1)

bg гадя се (heave as if to vomit)

keck en · NOUN · etymology 2

Pronunciation

  • /kɛk/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From earlier dialectal kex, of Celtic origin, probably from the same ultimate source as Latin cicuta (“hemlock”).

Meanings

  1. (dialectal, uncountable) The cow parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris).

keck en · NOUN · etymology 3

Pronunciation

  • /kɛk/
  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Manx keck (“shit”).

Meanings

  1. (qualifier:Isle of Man, uncountable) animal dung

Relateds

keck-handed