nark

Alternative forms

• narc

Noun

nark (plural narks)

1. (Britain, slang) A police spy or informer.
   • 1879 October 1, Horsley, Rev. John William, “Autobiography of a Thief”, in Macmillan's Magazine‎, volume 40, page 505:

     While laying there I piped a reeler whom I knew. He had a nark (a policeman's spy) with him. So I went and looked about for my two pals, and told them to look out for F. and his nark.

   • 1912, George Bernard Shaw, Pygmalion, Act I,

     It’s a—well, it’s a copper’s nark, as you might say. What else would you call it? A sort of informer.

2. (Australia, slang) An unpleasant person, especially one who makes things difficult for others; a spoilsport.

Translations

Verb

nark (third-person singular simple present narks, present participle narking, simple past and past participle narked)

1. (transitive, thieves' cant) To watch; to observe.
2. (intransitive, slang) To serve or behave as a spy or informer.
3. (transitive, slang) To annoy or irritate.

   It really narks me when people smoke in restaurants.

4. (intransitive, slang) To complain.

   He narks in my ear all day, moaning about his problems.

5. (transitive, slang, often imperative) To stop.

   Nark it! I hear someone coming!

Derived terms

• (watch): nark it (“look out”)
• (inform on): narking dues

Noun

nark (plural narks)

1. Alternative form of narc (narcotics officer).