Banks

American  

[bangks] / bæŋks /

noun

1. Sir Joseph, 1734–1820, English naturalist.

2. Nathaniel Prentiss 1816–94, U.S. army officer and politician: Speaker of the House 1856–57.

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Banks British  

/ bæŋks /

noun

1. Iain ( Menzies ). 1954–2013, Scottish novelist and science fiction writer. His novels include The Wasp Factory (1984), The Crow Road (1992), and The Steep Approach to Garbadale (2007); science-fiction (under the name Iain M. Banks) includes Look to Windward (2000)

2. Sir Joseph . 1743–1820, British botanist and explorer: circumnavigated the world with James Cook (1768–71)

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Banks Scientific  

/ băngks /

1. British botanist who took part in Captain James Cook's voyage around the world (1768–1771), during which he discovered and cataloged many species of plant and animal life.

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Example Sentences

Banks are “very eagerly moving in that direction,” he said.

From Barron's • Apr. 22, 2026

Banks keep reserves in part to meet liquidity standards that were put in place after the 2008 financial crisis.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 18, 2026

Banks have wasted no time putting them to work, but on Wall Street rather than Main Street.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

Banks, meanwhile, are on top of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

I said with the right amount of neck-rolling, “Frieda Banks, if you care so much about why my grandmother was crying, then you can go to Herkimer Street and you can ask her.”

From "P.S. Be Eleven" by Rita Williams-Garcia