bank
1a long pile or heap; mass: a bank of earth;a bank of clouds.
a slope or acclivity.
Physical Geography. the slope immediately bordering a stream course along which the water normally runs.
a broad elevation of the seafloor around which the water is relatively shallow but is not a hazard to surface navigation.
Coal Mining. the surface around the mouth of a shaft.
Also called cant, superelevation. the inclination of the bed of a banked road or railroad.
Aeronautics. the lateral inclination of an aircraft, especially during a turn.
Billiards, Pool. the cushion of the table.
to border with or like a bank; embank: banking the river with sandbags at flood stage.
to form into a bank or heap (usually followed by up): to bank up the snow.
to build (a road or railroad track) with an upward slope from the inner edge to the outer edge at a curve.
Aeronautics. to tip or incline (an airplane) laterally.
Billiards, Pool.
to drive (a ball) to the cushion.
to pocket (the object ball) by driving it against the bank.
to cover (a fire) with ashes or fuel to make it burn long and slowly.
to build up in or form banks, as clouds or snow.
Aeronautics. to tip or incline an airplane laterally.
Horology. (of a lever or balance) to be halted at either end of its oscillation by striking a pin or the like.
(of a road or railroad track) to slope upward from the inner edge to the outer edge at a curve.
Origin of bank
1synonym study For bank
Other words for bank
Words Nearby bank
Other definitions for bank (2 of 3)
an institution for receiving, lending, exchanging, and safeguarding money and, in some cases, issuing notes and transacting other financial business.
the office or quarters of such an institution.
Games.
the stock or fund of pieces from which the players draw.
the fund of the manager or the dealer.
a special storage place: a blood bank; a sperm bank.
a store or reserve.
Obsolete.
a sum of money, especially as a fund for use in business.
a moneychanger's table, counter, or shop.
to keep money in or have an account with a bank: Do you bank at the Village Savings Bank?
to exercise the functions of a bank or banker.
Games. to hold the bank.
to deposit in a bank: to bank one's paycheck.
bank on / upon to count on; depend on: You can bank on him to hand you a reasonable bill for his services.
Origin of bank
2Other definitions for bank (3 of 3)
an arrangement of objects in a line or in tiers: a bank of seats; a bank of lights.
Music. a row of keys on an organ.
a row of elevator cars, as in a hotel or high-rise office building.
a bench for rowers in a galley.
a row or tier of oars.
the group of rowers occupying one bench or rowing one oar.
Printing.
(formerly) a bench on which sheets are placed as printed.
Also called, especially British, random. the sloping work surface at the top of a compositor's workbench.
a table or rack on which type material is stored before being made up in forms.
Also called deck. Journalism. a part of a headline containing one or more lines of type, especially a part that appears below the main part.
Electricity. a number of similar devices connected to act together: a bank of transformers; a bank of resistors.
to arrange in a bank: to bank the seats; to bank the lights.
Origin of bank
3Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use bank in a sentence
Because they could not obtain bank financing, the company’s founders believed their only option was borrowing from hard-money lenders at exorbitant rates.
Opportunity Zones haven’t fully reached their potential, but don’t write them off yet | jakemeth | September 16, 2020 | FortuneThe Fed prefers a little inflation because that gives the central bank more room to cut or raise short-term interest rates.
Fed leaves short-term interest rates unchanged at nearly zero | Lee Clifford | September 16, 2020 | FortuneThe actual total is probably higher because many banks eliminate staff without disclosing their plans.
The incredibly shrinking banking sector is heading for near-record job losses this year | Bernhard Warner | September 16, 2020 | FortuneFraser, of course, will become the first woman chief executive of a big Wall Street bank in February.
Why one of the world’s few female bank CEOs decided to step down | Claire Zillman, reporter | September 16, 2020 | FortuneRussak-Aminoach’s decision to join Team8 is a stark departure from her prior role leading a legacy bank that dates back to 1902.
She was one of the world’s few female bank CEOs. Now she’s founding a fintech venture group | Claire Zillman, reporter | September 15, 2020 | Fortune
One that they cannot cash in at the bank to pay for their flats.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem | Danielle Belton | January 2, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTA tugboat improbably sits high on the bank, obscured by tall grass, a broken oil rig hangs over the water nearby.
But just up the steep river bank and through the brush is an opening.
He was surprised that the central bank did not understand that.
At this point in his life, Denton has enough filthy lucre in his bank account to affect a certain lack of interest in the stuff.
The Gospel According to Nick Denton—What Next For The Gawker Founder? | Lloyd Grove | December 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn sorting notes it is necessary to be able readily to distinguish between notes of this bank and notes of other reserve banks.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsThus far Boston banks have received more benefits from this bank than have the other banks in this district.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsThe weed growing over every water, and at the bank of the river, shall be pulled up before all grass.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version | VariousThe dormant accounts most of the banks maintain with the reserve bank are, perhaps, indicative of their attitude toward it.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur PhillipsAt the reserve bank they may borrow as a standing right and not as a favor which may be cut off.
Readings in Money and Banking | Chester Arthur Phillips
British Dictionary definitions for bank (1 of 3)
/ (bæŋk) /
an institution offering certain financial services, such as the safekeeping of money, conversion of domestic into and from foreign currencies, lending of money at interest, and acceptance of bills of exchange
the building used by such an institution
a small container used at home for keeping money
the funds held by a gaming house or a banker or dealer in some gambling games
(in various games)
the stock, as of money, pieces, tokens, etc, on which players may draw
the player holding this stock
any supply, store, or reserve, for future use: a data bank; a blood bank
(tr) to deposit (cash, cheques, etc) in a bank
(intr) to transact business with a bank
(intr) to engage in the business of banking
(intr) to hold the bank in some gambling games
Origin of bank
1- See also bank on
British Dictionary definitions for bank (2 of 3)
/ (bæŋk) /
a long raised mass, esp of earth; mound; ridge
a slope, as of a hill
the sloping side of any hollow in the ground, esp when bordering a river: the left bank of a river is on a spectator's left looking downstream
an elevated section, rising to near the surface, of the bed of a sea, lake, or river
(in combination): sandbank; mudbank
the area around the mouth of the shaft of a mine
the face of a body of ore
the lateral inclination of an aircraft about its longitudinal axis during a turn
Also called: banking, camber, cant, superelevation a bend on a road or on a railway, athletics, cycling, or other track having the outside built higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force on vehicles, runners, etc, rounding it at speed and in some cases to facilitate drainage
the cushion of a billiard table
(when tr, often foll by up) to form into a bank or mound
(tr) to border or enclose (a road, etc) with a bank
(tr, sometimes foll by up) to cover (a fire) with ashes, fresh fuel, etc, so that it will burn slowly
to cause (an aircraft) to tip laterally about its longitudinal axis or (of an aircraft) to tip in this way, esp while turning
to travel round a bank, esp at high speed
(tr) billiards to drive (a ball) into the cushion
Origin of bank
2British Dictionary definitions for bank (3 of 3)
/ (bæŋk) /
an arrangement of objects, esp similar objects, in a row or in tiers: a bank of dials
a tier of oars in a galley
a bench for the rowers in a galley
a grade of lightweight writing and printing paper used for airmail letters, etc
telephony (in automatic switching) an assembly of fixed electrical contacts forming a rigid unit in a selector or similar device
(tr) to arrange in a bank
Origin of bank
3Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with bank
In addition to the idiom beginning with bank
- bank on
also see:
- break the bank
- laugh all the way to the bank
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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