noun

kirk

kurk

noun

A church, especially in Scottish and northern English usage.

"They walked down to the kirk every Sunday morning."

"The old kirk on the hill has stood for nearly three centuries."

How to Use Kirk

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA Scottish or Northern English word for "church," also used formally for the Church of Scotland.

UK vs US

Common in Scotland and northern England; rarely used in American or southern British English outside of surnames and place names.

Common pairings

the parish kirk kirk elder the auld kirk

Word Forms

Kirked past tense, kirks plural, Kirks plural, Kirks singular

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They walked down to the _____ every Sunday morning.

Etymology

From Northern Middle English kyrke, related to Old Norse kirkja and Old English cirice — the same root that gave us "church." Kirk and church are essentially the same word arriving through different regional paths.

Rhymes for kirk

dirk birk quirk shirk smirk Dunkirk Newkirk

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