Awk (?), a. [OE. auk, awk (properly) turned away; (hence) contrary, wrong, from Icel. ofigr, ofugr, afigr, turning the wrong way, fr. af off, away; cf. OHG. abuh, Skr. apac turned away, fr. apa off, away + a root ak, ak, to bend, from which come also E. angle, anchor.]
1.
Odd; out of order; perverse.
[Obs.]
2.
Wrong, or not commonly used; clumsy; sinister; as, the awk end of a rod (the but end).
[Obs.]
Golding.
3.
Clumsy in performance or manners; unhandy; not dexterous; awkward.
[Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
© Webster 1913.
Awk, adv.
Perversely; in the wrong way.
L'Estrange.
© Webster 1913.