Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To fall with a sound like that of a heavy object falling rapidly into water.
- n. A kerplunking sound or movement.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- With a sudden ‘plunk’ or plunge.
Wiktionary
- n. A thudding or thunking sound.
- interj. A thudding or thunking sound.
Etymologies
- ker-, intensive pref. (probably from Scots) + plunk.
Examples
“Instead, we get the "kerplunk" scene we knew we were getting from the end of last issue, Luthor revealing that he's actually kind of a bastard after all, members of Infinity II declaring twice in two pages that it sure is a good thing they still have their powers, and a lost-in-space scene that once again fails to advance that plot.”
“She looks back at me after it makes a satisfying kerplunk.”
The Huffington Post: Jeanne Devon ("AKMuckraker"): Chuitna and the Curse of Coal
“A Saw type figure, played by Tyler Perry as Madea in a horrific Richard Nixon mask, taunts the survivors with his eerie song "kerplunk kerplunk, marbles on your head, I pull out another stick, and you'll be dead.”
“Slowly, but surely, that shitty little country is being driven to the sea, kerplunk.”
“I can actually feel a sort of ‘kerplunk’ when things fall into place and I GET IT.”
“She flushed the toilet, and we all three stood there crowded into the little bathroom and watched the water swirl and kerplunk down the drainpipe and gurgle as the bowl and tank refilled themselves.”
Fictionaut: "The Misses Moses," from my collection Aliens in the Prime of Their Lives (Norton 2010)
“Whereas most children burst from the tube with the power of a small explosion, I emerged as more of a dribble -- a soft kerplunk, followed by several desperate strokes toward Peter, who was confused by what had taken so long.”
The Huffington Post: Catherine Price: When Is Too Old for Waterslides?
“When I saw the pictures and video of a flooded Nashville in May 2010, my heart went kerplunk.”
“I do believe that Carl fell in love with the kerplunk of the turd in the punch bowl.”
The Huffington Post: Michael Caputo, Carl Paladino's Aide, Now Knows What Went Wrong
“On the other hand, firms also eliminated nearly 29 million jobs, including an average of nearly 1.5 million businesses that were contracting each quarter and another 325,000 going out of businessIn other words, right off the hop 325,000 businesses go kerplunk and therefore pay no taxes.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘kerplunk’.
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ker- and ka- words
Usually interjections and/or onomatopoeic.
kerplunk, kerslap, kerchunk, kerwhack, kerslop, kerwallop, kerflop, kerthump, kerslam, kerflummux, kerbang, kaboom and 7 more...
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onomatopoeias (2 syllable)
2 syllable words that mean what they sound like. (dictionaried or un-dictionaried | onomatopoeic in nature)
onomatopoeias (1 syllable) | onomatopoeias (3+ syllables)wobble, sputter, spatter, flutter, giggle, hiccup, mumble, murmur, jangle, rattle, sizzle, rustle and 14 more...
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unk knowns
bunk, chipmunk, junkyard, funk, junket, crunk, chunk, kerplunk, hunk, preshrunk, spunk, countersunk and 53 more...
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Sounds
Shhh! Listen! Did you hear that?
tintinnabulous, susurration, ululation, pandemonium, keening, tinkle, clang, caterwaul, twangle, twank, din, rumble and 34 more...
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Words of the day
The list of Wordnik words of the day.
panurgic, chapfallen, billingsgate, latration, witticaster, slitheroo, rux, crotchet, mirliton, arenose, ruelle, jane-of-apes and 76 more...
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Funny Words
gerbil, spleen, regurgitate, crevis, retro, orangutan, jiggly, ear, tart, pickle, fizzle, kapow and 4 more...
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Onomatopoeia
A collection of soundwords
grant_barrett This word was chosen as Wordnik word of the day. Nov 11, 2009