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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Fork \Fork\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Forked}; p. pr. & vb. n.
{Forking}.]
1. To shoot into blades, as corn.
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The corn beginneth to fork. --Mortimer.
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2. To divide into two or more branches; as, a road, a tree,
or a stream forks.
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Fork \Fork\, v. t.
To raise, or pitch with a fork, as hay; to dig or turn over
with a fork, as the soil.
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Forking the sheaves on the high-laden cart. --Prof.
Wilson.
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{To fork over} {To fork out}, to hand or pay over, as money;
to {cough up}. [Slang] --G. Eliot.
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Fork \Fork\ (f[^o]rk), n. [AS. forc, fr. L. furca. Cf.
{Fourch['e]}, {Furcate}.]
1. An instrument consisting of a handle with a shank
terminating in two or more prongs or tines, which are
usually of metal, parallel and slightly curved; -- used
for piercing, holding, taking up, or pitching anything.
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2. Anything furcate or like a fork in shape, or furcate at
the extremity; as, a tuning fork.
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3. One of the parts into which anything is furcated or
divided; a prong; a branch of a stream, a road, etc.; a
barbed point, as of an arrow.
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Let it fall . . . though the fork invade
The region of my heart. --Shak.
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A thunderbolt with three forks. --Addison.
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4. The place where a division or a union occurs; the angle or
opening between two branches or limbs; as, the fork of a
river, a tree, or a road.
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5. The gibbet. [Obs.] --Bp. Butler.
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{Fork beam} (Shipbuilding), a half beam to support a deck,
where hatchways occur.

{Fork chuck} (Wood Turning), a lathe center having two prongs
for driving the work.

{Fork head}.
(a) The barbed head of an arrow.
(b) The forked end of a rod which forms part of a knuckle
joint.

{In fork}. (Mining) A mine is said to be in fork, or an
engine to "have the water in fork," when all the water is
drawn out of the mine. --Ure.

{The forks of a river} or {The forks of a road}, the branches
into which it divides, or which come together to form it;
the place where separation or union takes place.
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Bracket \Brack"et\, n. [Cf. OF. braguette codpiece, F. brayette,
Sp. bragueta, also a projecting mold in architecture; dim.
fr. L. bracae breeches; cf. also, OF. bracon beam, prop,
support; of unknown origin. Cf. {Breeches}.]
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1. (Arch.) An architectural member, plain or ornamental,
projecting from a wall or pier, to support weight falling
outside of the same; also, a decorative feature seeming to
discharge such an office.
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Note: This is the more general word. See {Brace},
{Cantalever}, {Console}, {Corbel}, {Strut}.
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2. (Engin. & Mech.) A piece or combination of pieces, usually
triangular in general shape, projecting from, or fastened
to, a wall, or other surface, to support heavy bodies or
to strengthen angles.
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3. (Naut.) A shot, crooked timber, resembling a knee, used as
a support.
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4. (Mil.) The cheek or side of an ordnance carriage.
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5. (Print.) One of two characters [], used to inclose a
reference, explanation, or note, or a part to be excluded
from a sentence, to indicate an interpolation, to rectify
a mistake, or to supply an omission, and for certain other
purposes; -- called also {crotchet}.
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6. A gas fixture or lamp holder projecting from the face of a
wall, column, or the like.
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7. (Gunnery) A figure determined by firing a projectile
beyond a target and another short of it, as a basis for
ascertaining the proper elevation of the piece; -- only
used in the phrase, to establish a bracket. After the
bracket is established shots are fired with intermediate
elevations until the exact range is obtained. In the
United States navy it is called {fork}.
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{Bracket light}, a gas fixture or a lamp attached to a wall,
column, etc.
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