lank
Americanadjective
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(of plants) unduly long and slender.
lank grass; lank, leafless trees.
-
(of hair) straight and limp; without spring or curl.
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lean; gaunt; thin.
adjective
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long and limp
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thin or gaunt
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of lank
before 1000; Middle English lanc, Old English hlanc; akin to Old High German hlanca loin, side. Cf. flank
Explanation
Lank can describe grass that is long, hair that is limp, and people who are tall and thin. From the Old English hlanc (which is fun to say out loud), meaning loose and empty, lank is an adjective used to describe plant life which is long and slender, hair that hangs long and limp, and people who are long and slim. So you might hire a lank basketball player with lank hair to cut the grass when it’s lank. Or you might cut it yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing lank
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
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Let's Go Caroling, List 1
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Brian Albert said he knew Lank, but not socially.
From Seattle Times • May 10, 2024
Choueiri, who directs the Lank Center for Genitourinary Oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, saw a steep drop in new consultations in the pandemic’s early months.
From Scientific American • Nov. 18, 2021
Dr. Lank was a co-author of a recent paper tracking 10 years of nutmeg poisoning, as reported to Illinois poison control centers.
From New York Times • Nov. 25, 2014
Lank haired £22m-rated Fiorentina midfielder Riccardo Montolivo is also believed to have caught Arsène Wenger's eye, possible because he's one of those footballers who you're never quite sure is wearing a hairband or not.
From The Guardian • Aug. 23, 2010
Griffith Gaunt, he made fun of as "Liffith Lank"; St. Elmo, as "St. Twelmo."
From Memories and Anecdotes by Sanborn, Kate
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.
