Hanks

[ hangks ]

/ hæŋks /

noun

Tom,born 1956, U.S. film actor.

hank

[ hangk ]

/ hæŋk /

noun

a skein, as of thread or yarn.

a definite length of thread or yarn: A hank of cotton yarn measures 840 yards.

a coil, knot, or loop: a hank of hair.

Nautical. a ring, link, or shackle for securing the luff of a staysail or jib to its stay or the luff or head of a gaff sail to the mast or gaff.

verb (used with object)

Nautical. to fasten (a sail) by means of hanks.

Origin of hank

1175–1225; Middle English < Old Norse hǫnk hank, coil, skein, clasp; akin to hang

Related formsun·hanked, adjective

Hank

[ hangk ]

/ hæŋk /

noun

a male given name, form of Henry.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for hanks

Hanks appears as a talking head in several episodes of the series.
CNN ’60s Series Looks at How the Kennedy-Nixon Debate Changed TV|Scott Porch|May 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Not meeting Hanks prior, "helped the dynamics of the film and set the standard," says Abdi.
Barkhad Abdi: From Limo Driver to Oscar Contender|Tim Teeman|February 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But alas, Hanks, a two-time Best Actor Oscar winner and five-time Oscar nominee, was completely shut out by the Academy.
13 Oscar Nomination Shockers: Oprah, Tom Hanks, ‘Inside Llewyn Davis,’ and More|Marlow Stern|January 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
At the top of the corporation, of course, is Hanks, who takes on one of the biggest roles in Hollywood.
‘Saving Mr. Banks’ Reveals the Battle Over Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins’|Nico Hines|October 21, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Still, Hanks aside, none of those actors really carry enough star power for Broadway journeymen to cry foul this year.
The Outsider’s Guide to the 2013 Tony Nominations|Kevin Fallon|April 30, 2013|DAILY BEAST
One machine consists of a pair of discs fitted on an axle, these discs carry strong hooks on which the hanks are placed.
The Dyeing of Woollen Fabrics|Franklin Beech
She had a bearing, a cast of feature, a tone, that seemed to hint at higher social origins than those of her Hanks relatives.
Lincoln|Nathaniel Wright Stephenson
Hanks heard me speak, and seeing Thole on the deck, he knelt down by his side and took his hand.
Salt Water|W. H. G. Kingston
The liquor is kept just below boiling point for two or three hours, the hanks being turned from time to time.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Slice 1|Various
Broaches were reeled into "hanks" of "six cuts" each, to be "sized," "warped," and made ready for the loom.
History of Kershaw's Brigade|D. Augustus Dickert

British Dictionary definitions for hanks

Hanks

/ (hæŋks) /

noun

Tom. born 1956, US film actor: his films include Splash (1984), Philadelphia (1993), Forrest Gump (1994), Saving Private Ryan (1998), and The Terminal (2004)

hank

/ (hæŋk) /

noun

a loop, coil, or skein, as of rope, wool, or yarn

nautical a ringlike fitting that can be opened to admit a stay for attaching the luff of a sail

a unit of measurement of cloth, yarn, etc, such as a length of 840 yards (767 m) of cotton or 560 yards (512 m) of worsted yarn

verb

(tr) nautical to attach (a sail) to a stay by hanks

Word Origin for hank

C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse hanka to coil, Swedish hank string

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for hanks

hank

late 13c., probably from a Scandinavian source, e.g. Old Norse honk, hank "clasp, hank," related to hang (v.).

Hanks

noun

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RELATED WORDS

hank

noun

verb (used with object)

Origin of hank

Hank

noun

Examples from the Web for hanks

Hanks

noun

hank

noun

verb

Word Origin for hank

hank