fork

noun

• 1an implement with two or more prongs used for lifting food to the mouth or holding it when cutting.
• a farm or garden tool with three or four prongs, used for digging or lifting.
• [as modifier] denoting a light meal or buffet that may be eaten solely with a fork, while standing:a fork supper

• 2the point where something, especially a road or (North American) river, divides into two parts:turn right at the next fork
• either of two forked parts: the left fork goes on to the village

• 3 (usually forks) each of a pair of supports in which a bicycle or motorcycle wheel revolves.

• 4a flash of forked lightning.

• 5 Chess a simultaneous attack on two or more pieces by one.

verb

• 1 [no object] (especially of a route) divide into two parts:the place where the road forks
• [no object, with adverbial of direction] take or constitute one route or the other at the point where a route divides:we forked north-west for Rannoch
• Computing split (a process) into two or more independent processes: the attack can only work against a server that forks separate processes to handle client requests

• 2 [with object] dig or move (something) with a fork:fork in some compost

• 3 [with object] Chess attack (two pieces) simultaneously with one: he has forked my bishop and knight