Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun A business establishment in which money is kept for saving or commercial purposes or is invested, supplied for loans, or exchanged.
- noun The offices or building in which such an establishment is located.
- noun The funds of a gambling establishment.
- noun The funds held by a dealer or banker in certain games, especially gambling games.
- noun The reserve pieces, cards, chips, or play money in some games, such as poker, from which the players may draw.
- noun A supply or stock for future or emergency use.
- noun Medicine A supply of human fluids or tissues, such as blood, sperm, or skin, that is stored in a facility for future use.
- noun A place of safekeeping or storage.
- intransitive verb To deposit in a bank.
- intransitive verb To store for future use.
- intransitive verb To transact business with a bank or maintain a bank account.
- intransitive verb To operate a bank.
- noun A piled-up mass, as of snow or clouds; a heap.
- noun A steep natural incline.
- noun An artificial embankment.
- noun The slope of land adjoining a body of water, especially adjoining a river, lake, or channel.
- noun A large elevated area of a sea floor.
- noun Games The cushion of a billiard or pool table.
- noun The lateral inward tilting, as of a motor vehicle or an aircraft, in turning or negotiating a curve.
- intransitive verb To border or protect with a ridge or embankment.
- intransitive verb To pile up; amass.
- intransitive verb To cover (a fire), as with ashes or fresh fuel, to ensure continued low burning.
- intransitive verb To construct with a slope rising to the outside edge.
- intransitive verb To tilt (an aircraft) laterally and inwardly in flight.
- intransitive verb To tilt (a motor vehicle) laterally and inwardly when negotiating a curve.
- intransitive verb Games To strike (a billiard ball) so that it rebounds from the cushion of the table.
- intransitive verb Sports To play (a ball or puck) in such a way as to make it glance off a surface, such as a backboard or wall.
- intransitive verb To rise in or take the form of a bank.
- intransitive verb To tilt an aircraft or a motor vehicle laterally when turning.
- noun A set of similar or matched things arranged in a row, especially.
- noun A set of elevators.
- noun A row of keys on a keyboard.
- noun A bench for rowers in a galley.
- noun A row of oars in a galley.
- noun Printing The lines of type under a headline.
- transitive verb To arrange or set up in a row.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To raise a mound or dike about; inclose, defend, or fortify with a bank; embank: as, to
bank a river. - To form into a bank or heap; heap or pile: with up: as, to
bank up the snow. - To lie around or encircle, as a bank; constitute a bank around; form a bank or border to; hem in as a bank.
- To pass by the banks or fortifications of.
- To border upon.
- To impinge upon the banking-pins of a watch: said of the escapement.
- noun A money-dealer's table, counter, or shop.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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** Cash only, or bank to bank** I will not accept any Cashier check of any kind.
NASIOC 2009
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The word bank reached new heights following the successful commercial enterprises of the East India Company.
The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010
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The word bank reached new heights following the successful commercial enterprises of the East India Company.
The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010
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It brings a whole new movie -- meaning to the term bank branch.
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Early on, you find a alien watch that contains a journal to remind you of your quests, a map to show you where to go, an inventory showing quest items you have gathered, your word bank and other helpful items.
USATODAY.com News 2011
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The word bank comes from "banco," the bench on which itinerant merchants traded.
News 2012
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Even in countries like China, Japan, and Greece, where other words are used to capture related ideas for “banking,” the English word bank is freely recognized.xviii
The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010
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As exhausting as this journey must have been for the word bank, it has served English-speakers well, and richly.
The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010
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Even in countries like China, Japan, and Greece, where other words are used to capture related ideas for “banking,” the English word bank is freely recognized.xviii
The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010
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As exhausting as this journey must have been for the word bank, it has served English-speakers well, and richly.
The English Is Coming! Leslie Dunton-Downer 2010
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The ‘bank’ was a short coal-face about ten yards wide and usually worked by two men, the filler and the trammer.
Joe Kenyon · Working Underground · LRB 27 November 1997 Joe Kenyon 2020
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Bischoff explains that there’s a loophole in marketing schemes that makes them susceptible to bank drops—a dark web term that refers to using bank accounts with stolen or fraudulent credentials for money laundering.
There’s a thriving black market for selfies with passports The A.V. Club 2022
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After the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), many commentators have pointed fingers at social media, responsible for accelerating the bank run that killed SVB. Less attention has been dedicated to the role mobile banking has played not only in SVB’s bank run but also in the preceding massive exodus of deposits from the banking sector. While this exodus of funds from banks took place more slowly — more akin to a bank walk than a bank run— it is equally, if not more, momentous for the banking system.
Destabilizing Digital “Bank Walks” - ProMarket Naz Koont, Tano Santos and Luigi Zingales 2023
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While today there are seemingly endless ways to consume porn — from Pornhub to audio erotica — spank banks are still alive and well and being compiled in all sorts of creative ways. From alt Twitters to an entirely separate device, seven people graciously told me about the digital homes for their masturbation fodder.
7 people describe what they keep in their 'spank bank' Anna Iovine 2020
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Spank bank - It's what I know it as. Pictures of my Wife have always been know as a spank bank to us. Late 50's, nope. Mid 20's. Don't know what i can attribute to that, but I have read a lot of Playboy in my past.
My spank bank is offensive to my wife FinagleWanger32 2025
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Also don't have pics of my exes. I also never realised anyone used the term spank bank to mean physical pictures. I've only ever used it to mean sexy memories.
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Starship Troopers saw her taking on aliens, The World Is Not Enough saw her taking on James Bond, and Wild Things saw her taking on Neve Campbell in a swimming pool in a scene that went right into every Gen-Xer’s spank bank, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation.
Denise Richards Is Ready to Be Asked Back on Housewives Brian Moylan 2025
tbtabby commented on the word bank
Means "bench" in Dutch.
July 13, 2009
bilby commented on the word bank
Same origin, TBT.
July 18, 2009