lank

[ langk ]

See synonyms for lank on Thesaurus.com

adjective,lank·er, lank·est.

(of plants) unduly long and slender: lank grass; lank, leafless trees.
(of hair) straight and limp; without spring or curl.

lean; gaunt; thin.

Origin of lank

before 1000; Middle English lanc,Old English hlanc; akin to Old High German hlanca loin, side. Cf. flank

Other words from lank

lankly, adverb
lankness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use lank in a sentence

But the Tragedian (he was the longest and the lankest) minded us not at all.
Virginia: The Old Dominion | Frank W. Hutchins and Cortelle Hutchins
West Virginia hogs are the longest, lankest, boniest animals in creation.
The Citizen-Soldier | John Beatty

British Dictionary definitions for lank (1 of 2)

lank¹

/ (læŋk) /

adjective

long and limp
thin or gaunt

Origin of lank

Old English hlanc loose

Derived forms of lank

lankly, adverb
lankness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for lank (2 of 2)

lank²

/ (læŋk) /

adjective, adverb

Southern African informal a lot; a great deal

Origin of lank

perhaps from Afrikaans lank long

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

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