nark

1859, "to act as a police informer" (v.); 1860, "police informer" (n.), probably from Romany nak "nose," from Hindi nak, from Sanskrit nakra, which probably is related to Sanskrit nasa "nose" (from PIE root *nas- "nose"). Sense and spelling tending to merge with etymologically unrelated narc (q.v.).

Entries linking to nark

*nas-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "nose."

It forms all or part of: nares; nark; nasal; nasopharynx; nasturtium; ness; nose; nostril; nozzle; nuzzle; pince-nez.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit nasa, Old Persian naham, Latin nasus, Old Church Slavonic nasu, Lithuanian nosis, Old English nosu, German Nase "nose."

narc (n.)

1967 (earlier narco, 1960), American English slang, shortened form of narcotics agent. It had been used 1955 for narcotics hospital, 1958 for narcotics addict. The senses and spelling have tended to merge with older but unrelated nark (q.v.).

snarky (adj.)

"irritable, short-tempered," 1906, from snark (v.) "to find fault with, nag" (1882), literally "to snort" (1866), from an imitative source akin to Low German snarken, North Frisian snarke, Swedish snarka; and compare snarl (v.2), sneer (v.). Also compare narky "bad-tempered, sarcastic" (1895), British slang from earlier nark "annoying, quarrelsome, or unpleasant person" (1846), from nark (q.v.).

It seems to have emerged anew as a vogue word c. 1997 to indicate a "hostile, knowing, bitter tone of contempt." The back-formation snark (n.) "caustic, opinionated, and critical rhetoric" is by c. 2002 (compare snark (n.)). Related: Snarkily; snarkiness.

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Definitions of nark

nark (v.)

cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations;

Synonyms: annoy / rag / get to / bother / get at / irritate / rile / nettle / gravel / vex / chafe / devil

nark (v.)

inform or spy (for the police);

nark (n.)

an informer or spy working for the police;

Synonyms: copper's nark

nark (n.)

a lawman concerned with narcotics violations;

Synonyms: narc / narcotics agent

From wordnet.princeton.edu

Dictionary entries near nark

narcotic

nard

nare

nares

narghile

nark

narrable

Narragansett

narrate

narration

narrative