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amok

adv
/əˈmɒk/

Etymology

Borrowed from Portuguese amouco, from Malay amuk (“to go on a killing spree”). The term first appeared in English around the 16th century, associated with the people of Malaysia and Java, first described in the 1516 text The Book of Duarte Barbosa, which was translated to English by Henry E. J. Stanley.

  1. derived from amuk
  2. borrowed from amouco

Definitions

  1. Out of control, especially when armed and dangerous.

  2. In a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree

    In a frenzy of violence, or on a killing spree; berserk.

    • It is true, I […] might have run “amok” against society; but I preferred that society should run “amok” against me, it being the desperate party.

  3. One who runs amok

    One who runs amok; in Malay and Moro/Philippine culture, one who attempts to kill many others, especially expecting that they will be killed themselves.

    • One morning, as we were sitting at breakfast, Mr. Carter's servant informed us that there was an "Amok" in the village--in other words, that a man was "running a muck."
  4. ›+ 3 more definitions

    1. The act of running amok.

      • Among the ancients these would have been looked upon as heroes or demigods who sacrificed themselves for their country. Here it is simply said--they made "amok."

    2. Synonym of run amok.

    3. A kind of Southeast Asian curry steamed in banana leaves native to Cambodia.

The neighborhood

Derived

run amok

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for amok. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA