awk

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CIDE DICTIONARY

awk, a. [OE. auk, awk (properly) turned away; (hence) contrary, wrong, from Icel. öfigr, öfugr, afigr, turning the wrong way, fr. af off, away; cf. OHG. abuh, Skr. apāc turned away, fr. apa off, away + a root ak, a, to bend, from which come also E. angle, anchor.].

Odd; out of order; perverse. [1913 Webster]

Wrong, or not commonly used; clumsy; sinister; as, the awk end of a rod (the but end). Golding. [1913 Webster]

Clumsy in performance or manners; unhandy; not dexterous; awkward. [1913 Webster]

awk, adv.

Perversely; in the wrong way. L'Estrange. [1913 Webster]