Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense, plural larks, present participle larking, past tense, past participle larked
1. countable noun
A lark is a small brown bird which makes a pleasant sound.
2. countable noun
If you say that doing something is a lark, you mean that it is fun, although perhaps naughty or dangerous.
The children thought it was a great lark.
He'd made it seem rather a lark, to be visiting a supposedly haunted house.
Synonyms: prank, game, fun, fling More Synonyms of lark
3. countable noun [the/this n N]
You use lark in expressions such as this acting lark and the writing lark to indicate humorously that you think an activity or job is amusing, foolish, or unnecessary.
[British, informal]
He got the part, and eventually decided the acting lark wasn't half bad.
Phrasal verbs:
See lark around
lark in British English1
(lɑːk)
noun
1.
any brown songbird of the predominantly Old World family Alaudidae, esp the skylark: noted for their singing
2. short for titlark, meadowlark
3. (often capital)
any of various slender but powerful fancy pigeons, such as the Coburg Lark
4. up with the lark
Word origin
Old English lāwerce, lǣwerce, of Germanic origin; related to German Lerche, Icelandic lǣvirki
lark in British English2
(lɑːk) informal
noun
1.
a carefree adventure or frolic
2.
a harmless piece of mischief
3. what a lark!
verb(intransitive)
4. (often foll by about)
to have a good time by frolicking
5.
to play a prank
Derived forms
larker (ˈlarker)
noun
larkish (ˈlarkish)
adjective
larkishness (ˈlarkishness)
noun
Word origin
C19: originally slang, perhaps related to laik
lark in American English1
(lɑrk)
verb intransitive
1.
to play or frolic; have a merry time
2.
to cause one's horse to jump fences, etc. unnecessarily
noun
3.
a frolic or spree
4.
a merry prank
Derived forms
larker (ˈlarker)
noun
larkish (ˈlarkish)
adjective or ˈlarky
Word origin
? alteration (infl. by lark2) of northern dial. lake < ME laike, to play < ON leika & OE lacan, akin to Goth laikan, to hop, leap < IE base *leig-, *loig-, to hop > Sans rḗjatē, (he) hops, quivers
lark in American English2
(lɑrk)
noun
1.
any of a large family (Alaudidae) of chiefly Old World passerine birds, including the skylark and horned lark
2.
any of various birds from other families, as the meadowlark
Word origin
ME lark, laverke < OE laferce, older læwerce, akin to Ger lerche (OHG lērahha), ON lævirki (Dan lerke)