fork

A small tool with several points, used to pick up food or hold it while cutting.

• I need a fork.
• She ate her salad with a fork.
• Put the forks beside the plates.

Common phrases: knife and fork, dinner fork, with a fork, serving fork

A place where a road, path, or other long thing divides into two branches.

• Turn left at the fork.
• We reached a fork in the road after lunch.
• A bird had built its nest in a fork of the tree.

How to use it: a fork in something (We stopped at a fork in the trail.)

Similar words: branch point, junction

Common phrases: fork in something, road fork, at the fork

The part of a bicycle or motorcycle that holds the front wheel and turns it when you steer.

• The bike has a bent fork.
• This suspension fork makes rough paths more comfortable.
• The mechanic replaced the motorcycle's front fork.

Similar words: front fork

Common phrases: front fork, suspension fork, bicycle fork

A chess move in which one piece attacks two or more of the other player's pieces at once.

• His knight created a fork.
• A fork threatened both my king and my queen.
• She spotted the fork before moving her rook.

Similar words: double attack

Common phrases: knight fork, create a fork, a deadly fork

To divide into two or more branches or separate paths.

• The road forks ahead.
• We forked left after passing the bridge.
• The river forks into two channels near the village.

How to use it: fork into something (The path forks into two narrow trails.)

Similar words: divide, split, branch

Opposites: merge, join

Common phrases: fork left, fork right, fork into something

To lift or move food, hay, or something else using a tool with points.

• He forked hay into the wagon.
• She forked another piece of cake into her mouth.
• We forked the straw into a pile.

How to use it: fork something into/onto something (She forked the pasta onto a plate.)

Common phrases: fork something onto, fork something into, fork hay