Plural of gunk; unpleasant, sticky, or dirty substances; grimy buildup or debris.
From 'gunk', likely onomatopoetic or from early 20th century slang, possibly related to 'gunk' meaning a thick unpleasant substance. The term became widespread with industrial and mechanical language.
Gunk is a wonderfully expressive word that sounds like what it means—that sticky, grimy, unpleasant stuff you don't want to touch—and it's become standard English for describing anything gunky from engine sludge to unwanted bodily secretions!
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