funk

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A state of cowardly fright; a panic.
2. n. A state of severe depression.
3. n. A cowardly, fearful person.
4. v. To shrink from in fright or dread.
5. v. To be afraid of.
6. v. To shrink in fright.
7. n. Music An earthy quality appreciated in music such as jazz or soul.
8. n. Music A type of popular music combining elements of jazz, blues, and soul and characterized by syncopated rhythm and a heavy, repetitive bass line.
9. n. Slang An unsophisticated quality or atmosphere of a region or locality: "The setting is country funk” ( Nina Martin).

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A spark.
2. n. Touchwood; punk.
3. n. A strong and offensive smoky smell.
4. To stifle with offensive smoke or vapor.
5. To become afraid; shrink through fear; quail.
6. n. Cowering fear; a shrinking panic or scare; a state of cowardly fright or terror.
7. To kick behind, as a horse.
8. To get angry; take offense.
9. To kick; strike.
10. n. A kick; a stroke.
11. n. Ill humor; anger; huff.
12. Cross; ill-tempered.
13. To smoke offensively, as a fire or chimney, with puffs or gusts.
14. To shrink from or dread; be afraid of; back out from.
15. n. One who funks, shrinks from, or avoids, or who is in a state of funk.

Wiktionary

1. n. obsolete spark
2. n. obsolete touchwood, punk, tinder
3. n. countable mental depression
4. n. uncountable A state of fear or panic, especially cowardly
5. v. To shrink from, or avoid something because of fear
6. n. countable Foul or unpleasant smell, especially body odour.
7. n. uncountable Music that combines traditional forms of black music (as blues, gospel, or soul) and is characterized by a strong backbeat.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Low An offensive smell; a stench.
2. n. colloq. One who funks; a shirk; a coward.
3. n. a state of fear.
4. n. a mildly depressed state of mind; -- often used in the phrase blue funk.
5. n. an earthy, seemingly unsophisticated style of jazz music having elements of black American blues and gospel.
6. v. obsolete To envelop with an offensive smell or smoke.
7. v. colloq. To funk at; to flinch at; to shrink from (a thing or person).
8. v. colloq. To frighten; to cause to flinch.
9. v. To emit an offensive smell; to stink.
10. v. colloq. To be frightened, and shrink back; to flinch.
11. n. colloq. A shrinking back through fear.

WordNet 3.0

1. n. a state of nervous depression
2. n. an earthy type of jazz combining it with blues and soul; has a heavy bass line that accentuates the first beat in the bar
3. n. United States biochemist (born in Poland) who showed that several diseases were caused by dietary deficiencies and who coined the term `vitamin' for the chemicals involved (1884-1967)
4. v. draw back, as with fear or pain