fink

fink

an informer
a strikebreaker; esp., a professional strikebreaker
a person regarded as contemptible, obnoxious, etc.

Origin of fink

Ger, literally , finch, used since the 17th circa as generalized pejorative; adopted (c. 1740) by students at Jena for nonmembers of fraternities (prob. in allusion to the wild bird in contrast to the caged canary); later extended to those not in organizations, especially unions

to inform (on)

fink Idioms

fink out

to withdraw; back out
to fail

Link/Cite

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MLA Style

"fink." YourDictionary, n.d. Web. 20 January 2019. <https://www.yourdictionary.com/FINK>.

APA Style

fink. (n.d.). Retrieved January 20th, 2019, from https://www.yourdictionary.com/FINK

fink

Slang

noun

A contemptible person.
An informer.
A hired strikebreaker.

intransitive verb

finked, fink·ing, finks

To inform against another person.
To withhold promised support or participation: They said they'd help us, but then finked out.

Origin of fink

Perhaps from German student slang Fink student not belonging to a student association ( from German finch ) ( akin to Old English finc ) or perhaps from such German compounds as Schmutzfink dirty person, mudslinger Schmutz filth Fink finch ( perhaps influenced by Rotwelsch (German underworld argot) Fink, Pink man ) ( akin to Frisian pink little finger, penis )

THE AMERICAN HERITAGE® DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE, FIFTH EDITION by the Editors of the American Heritage Dictionaries. Copyright © 2016, 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.