tonk
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An illegal immigrant of any country.
Register: derogatory, slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
1990: United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on the Judiciary, Confirmation Hearings on Federal Appointments: Hearings Before the Committee - An agent, Larry Moy, when asked to define the derivation of the term “tonk,” replied: “...it's the sound of flashlight hitting somebody's head, tonk". [Th
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “tonk” mean?
An illegal immigrant of any country.
Is “tonk” formal or informal?
tonk is generally derogatory, slang.