Fork

A fork is a tool for eating solid food. It has a handle, and at the end has points called tines. Most forks have three or four tines. Some cooking-forks have two tines. The tines help to hold food in place for cutting with a knife, or to pick it up and lift to the mouth. Most forks today are made of metal. Some are made of plastic or wood. Thousands of years ago, some forks were made of bone.

The word "fork" is also used to describe a two choices of course. A fork in the road is a split in the road leading in two (or more) directions. A forked tongue would have two parts or tips.

Forks were long used for cooking. In Western culture they became common for eating around 1000 AD. Many countries do not use forks, but instead have their own ways, such as chopsticks.

Related pages 
 Garden fork
 Spork

Category:Basic English 850 words
category:Food utensils