a slang word for an American
informal short for Yankee
First recorded in 1810–20; origin uncertain
An Americanism dating back to 1770–80; shortened form
To yank is to pull or move suddenly and sharply. You might reach for a pan on the stove and then yank your hand away when you realize the handle is hot. Your little sister might yank at your arm to get your attention, while a bully might yank your hair just to be mean. In both cases, they're tugging abruptly, and you can call the pull itself a yank. Don't confuse this noun with the yank that serves as a slightly offensive nickname for Americans, or even more specifically, for New Englanders. Dutch settlers in then New Amsterdam first used this word to insult English colonists in Connecticut.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
If the Labour Party is up the creek without a paddle after last week, to revert to Yank lingo, it also finds itself in an anomalous position.
From Salon • May 10, 2026
I also asked Sue Bell Yank, Clockshop’s executive director, how the kite festival began.
From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2026
Some groups recall the past, like trumpeter Yank Lawson’s New Orleans-style orchestra, while others, like Woody Herman, Stan Kenton and especially Boyd Raeburn, anticipate modern jazz.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 26, 2026
The lanky Yank had driven the spud-loving critter off his land more times than he could count, and the $10 he’d invested in a peck of potato seeds was disappearing with every bite.
From Seattle Times • May 16, 2024
The Yank said it was a whale of a landing, which he meant as a compliment.
From "Code Name Verity" by Elizabeth Wein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
