▪ I. chark, n.1
(tʃɑːk)
[app. short. from chark coal, which appears soon after 1500, for charcoal, q.v. No independent origin of the word appears. Cf. chark v.2]
1. Wood or coal charred; charcoal; coke.
| 1708–15 Kersey, Charks (in Worcester-shire) Pit-coal chark'd, or charr'd. 1714 Fr. Bk. of Rates 38 Coals-Chark per Maund, 01 06. 1719 De Foe Crusoe xii, I contriv'd to burn some Wood..under Turf, until it became Chark, or dry Coal. 1789 Mrs. Piozzi Journ. France I. 223 Wood burned to Chark is a real poison. |
2. (See quot.) (Perh. a distinct word.)
| 1872 Hardwick Trad. Lanc. 35 The discoverer of the Chark or ‘fire-drill’, an instrument for obtaining fire by artificial means. |
▪ II. ‖ chark, n.2
(tʃɑːk)
[Russ. charka, dim. of chara glass, noggin.]
A small (Russian) glass or cup.
| 1591 G. Fletcher Russe Commw. (1857) 146 They beginne commonly with a chark, or small cuppe, of aqua vitæ. 1686 Diary P. Gordon 26 Jan. (Spalding Club 1859) Receiving a charke of brandy out of the youngest his hand. |
▪ III. † chark, v.1 Obs. or dial.
[OE. cearcian to creak; found also in ME. as cherk, chirk: cf. merk, mark, etc.]
1. To make a grating noise with the teeth. (Sc.)
| c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxvi. §5 (Z.) 157 Strideo oððe strido, ic cearciᵹe oððe gristbitiᵹe. [Somner has also cearciende téþ, stridentes dentes.] 1825 Jamieson, To chark as the teeth do [In South of Scotl. pronounced chairk]. |
† 2. To creak, as a wheel on its axle, a door on its hinges. Obs.
| 1388 Wyclif Amos ii. 13 Lo! Y shal charke vndur ȝou, as a wayn chargid with hei charkith. 1393 Gower Conf. II. 102 There is no dore, which may charke. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 70/1 Charkyn as a carte or barow or oþyr thynge lyke, arguo, VG alii dicunt stridere. |
3. To complain continuously, be querulous. Sc.
| 1825 in Jamieson. |
▪ IV. chark, v.2
(tʃɑːk)
[appears only about the middle of the 17th c.; see chark n.]
trans. To burn to charcoal; to char; to coke (coals).
| 1662 Fuller Worthies iii. 97 A way..to Charke Seacole in such manner, as to render it usefull for the making of Iron. 1664 Evelyn Sylva 32 Small-coal..made by charking the slenderest brush, and summities of the twigs. 1684 T. Burnet Th. Earth II. 53 We are not to conceive that the earth will be onely scorcht or charkt in the last fire..it will become a molten sea mingled with fire. 1806–7 J. Beresford Miseries Hum. Life (1826) ix. v, A beefsteak..completely charked by over-dressing. 1836 Sir G. Head Home Tour 128 Fires, for the purpose of charking the coal used in smelting the metal. |
Hence charked ppl. a.; ˈcharking vbl. n.
| 1655 Counc. Order in Thurloe State Pap. (1742) III. 496 The sole exercise of their invention of charking or calcining of New Castle coals..His invention of making of iron with pitcoal charked. 1667 Denham Direct. Paint. ii. ii. 104 Paint..the Great Harman charkt almost to Coal. 1870 Jevons Elem. Logic vi. 45 Coal..originally..was the name of charked or charred wood. |
▪ V. † chark, v.3 Obs.
Dial. var. of cark to burden.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 23994 Charked sua i was wit care. |