Bloke

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /bləʊk/

Definitions

1. A colloquial term for a male individual, often implying familiarity or a casual rapport in social contexts
2. An informal designation for a man, frequently used to express a sense of friendliness or companionship
3. A casual word used to refer to an adult male, generally in a friendly or informal way

Etymology: Origin unknown is the honest starting point for "bloke," and the candidates are more interesting than the word's plain pedigree. One proposal links it to Irish "bloc" ("block") or Scottish Gaelic "ploc," meaning a large, stubborn person, literally a block of wood. If that is right, the word began as a jibe about dullness and obstinacy and softened into a neutral label for a man. A rival theory looks much further east. Hindustani "lok," meaning "people" or "folk," and Shelta "loke," meaning "man," have been suggested as sources. Shelta is the secret cant used by Irish travelling people, which makes the Irish connection plausible, though neither link can be proven. The word first appears in print in the 1880s, when the Oxford English Dictionary records it. Its casual warmth, the sense of a fellow you know or can chat with, seems to have been present from the start, so the shift from "stubborn lump" to "chap" happened before it was ever written down.

Synonyms: man, guy, fellow, chap, dude

Antonyms: woman, lady