v. perked, perk·ing, perks v.intr. 1. To stick up or jut out: dogs' ears that perk. 2. To carry oneself in a lively and jaunty manner. v.tr. To cause to stick up quickly: The dog perked its ears at the noise. adj. Phrasal Verb: Perky. perk up 1. To regain or cause to regain one's good spirits or liveliness. 2. To refresh the appearance of: New furniture and paint perked up the room. [Possibly Middle English perken, to perch, from perk, rod, perch, probably from Medieval Latin perca and from Old French perche, perce, both from Latin pertica, rod; see PERCH1.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
n. Informal A perquisite. [Shortening and alteration of PERQUISITE.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
intr.v. perked, perk·ing, perks Informal To percolate: The coffee was perking on the stove. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.