erk
1
9.9
A low-ranking military member, often a new recruit in the air force
- noun
- Archaic
:
novato
- In the military, many young soldiers start off as erks, performing basic tasks.
Examples
-
The erks have other things on their minds nowadays, thank goodness.
-
- Everyone calls that girl erk.
-
All the erks over here!
-
The new recruits were considered erks until they completed their training.
-
The team relied on the erks for support while they took on more important missions.
Synonyms
enlisted person
vserk
1
4.9
A member of the armed forces who is not an officer
is informal slang for junior workers in the air force rather than all services
9.3
The lowest rank in the Royal Air Force held by new members
is informal slang for any junior or low-ranking military member
8.2
A woman in the British Royal Air Force who is not an officer
is informal slang for junior or low-ranking military members regardless of gender
Surface Forms
Etymology
Erk as a noun is British slang for a low-ranking air force or military worker; one idea is that it began as a short nickname from aircraftman. So calling someone an erk is a way to say they are a 'junior worker' starting out in the service.