gherkin

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See also: Gherkin

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From a form of Dutch gurk, an archaic variant of augurk (“small pickled cucumber”), from Low German, from Middle Low German agurke, augurke, probably via Slavic (compare Polish ogórek), from Byzantine Greek ἀγγούριον (angoúrion, “cucumber”). The underlying Dutch form may be a diminutive (gurkijn) or perhaps more probably the plural (gurken), which was then associated with the English suffix -kin (itself incidentally from Dutch or Low German).[1][2] Compare German Gurke.

Pronunciation

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Noun

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gherkin (plural gherkins)

"The Gherkin", at 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3
  1. A small cucumber, often pickled whole.
  2. (UK, Ireland) Pickled cucumber regardless of size; a pickle
  3. Informal nickname for the well-known tall office building situated 30 St Mary Axe, London EC3 ("The Gherkin").
  4. (slang) The penis.
    • 2008, E. Lockhart, Fly on the Wall:
      “Even my gherkin is sorry, and it didn't talk shit about anybody," persists Adrian. The edge of Titus's mouth quivers in laughter.
    • 2010, Niobia Bryant, Live and Learn:
      “Yes, daddy,” I moaned, lying big-time as his finger played in my sudsy pussy. “Say please,” he ordered, taking my hand to circle around his gherkin.
    • 2011, James Herbert Edwards, The Guardian Projects: Book Two, page 241:
      His gherkin was doing the tent dance, and he couldn't have been prouder.

Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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  1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “gherkin”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
  2. ^ van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “augurk”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Further reading

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