spunk      /spʌŋk/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[spuhngk] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation,
–noun 1. pluck; spirit; mettle.
2. touchwood, tinder, or punk.


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[Origin: 1530–40; b. spark1 and obs. funk spark, touchwood (c. D vonk, G Funke)]

—Related forms
spunkless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source spunk       (spŭngk) Pronunciation Key
n.   
Informal Spirit; pluck.
Punk, touchwood, or other tinder.
Vulgar Slang Ejaculated semen.


[Scottish Gaelic spong, tinder, from Latin spongia, sponge; see sponge.]


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Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source
spunk

1536, "a spark," Scottish, from Gaelic spong "tinder, pith, sponge," from L. spongia (see sponge). The sense of "courage, pluck, mettle" is first attested 1773. A similar sense evolution took place in cognate Ir. sponnc "sponge, tinder, spark, courage, spunk." Vulgar slang sense of "seminal fluid" is recorded from c.1888. Spunky "courageous, spirited" is recorded from 1786.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source spunk

noun
1. material for starting a fire [syn: kindling]
2. the courage to carry on; "he kept fighting on pure spunk"; "you haven't got the heart for baseball" [syn: heart]

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.