plank

[ plangk ]

/ plæŋk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR plank ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a long, flat piece of timber, thicker than a board.

lumber in such pieces; planking.

something to stand on or to cling to for support.

any one of the stated principles or objectives comprising the political platform of a party campaigning for election: They fought for a plank supporting a nuclear freeze.

verb (used with object)

to lay, cover, or furnish with planks.

to bake or broil and serve (steak, fish, chicken, etc.) on a wooden board.

plunk(def 2).

Nearby words

planimetry, planing, planing hull, planish, planisphere, plank, plank floor, plank-sheer, planking, plankter, plankton

Idioms

walk the plank,

to be forced, as by pirates, to walk to one's death by stepping off a plank extending from the ship's side over the water.
to relinquish something, as a position, office, etc., under compulsion: We suspect that the new vice-president walked the plank because of a personality clash.

Origin of plank

1275–1325; Middle English planke < Old North French < Latin planca board, plank. See planch

Related forms

plank·less, adjectiveplank·like, adjectiveun·planked, adjective

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

Examples from the Web for plank

We all jumped from our seats and stood rigid as plank boards.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It has a lovely rustic feel with plank wooden floors and uncovered fireplaces.
The Hell of the Hamptons: Why the Exclusive Hotspot Is a Mind-Numbing Drag|Robert Gold|August 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
First Duggan defied him, then Rusev smashed Duggan's plank over his knee.
Putin Vs. Obama—In Spandex: Wrestling’s New Cold War|Tim Teeman|May 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Perhaps Ham will dedicate a plank in the replica ark to his bowtied benefactor.
The Bill Nye-Ken Ham Debate Was a Nightmare for Science|Michael Schulson|February 5, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Northup slept on a plank 12 inches wide and 10 feet long, with a stick of wood as his pillow.
The ‘12 Years a Slave’ Book Shows Slavery As Even More Appalling Than In the Film|Jimmy So|October 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
A new line of battle was formed on the plank road west of Chancellorsville, and on the turnpike east.
The Campaign of Chancellorsville|Theodore A. Dodge
A plank or fence-rail served as a temporary draw-bridge, which was pulled into the swamp after passing over.
Revolutionary Reader|Sophie Lee Foster
Beaulieu had placed a battery of thirty cannon so as to completely sweep every plank of the bridge.
Military Career of Napoleon the Great|Montgomery B. Gibbs
"A hundred aces," broke in Plank's heavy voice as he played the last trick and picked up the scoring card and pencil.
The Fighting Chance|Robert W. Chambers
Plank, standing beside the stretcher, raised his head, listening to the ambulance arriving at full speed.
The Fighting Chance|Robert W. Chambers

British Dictionary definitions for plank (1 of 2)

plank

/ (plæŋk) /

noun

a stout length of sawn timber

something that supports or sustains

one of the policies in a political party's programme

walk the plank to be forced by pirates to walk to one's death off the end of a plank jutting out over the water from the side of a ship

British slang a stupid person; idiot

verb (tr)

to cover or provide (an area) with planks

to beat (meat) to make it tender

mainly US and Canadian to cook or serve (meat or fish) on a special wooden board

Word Origin for plank

C13: from Old Norman French planke, from Late Latin planca board, from plancus flat-footed; probably related to Greek plax flat surface

British Dictionary definitions for plank (2 of 2)

plank

/ (plæŋk) /

verb

(tr) Scot to hide; cache

Word Origin for plank

C19: a variant of plant

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

Idioms and Phrases with plank

plank

see walk the plank.

plank

noun

verb (used with object)

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Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of plank

Related forms

Examples from the Web for plank

British Dictionary definitions for plank (1 of 2)

plank

noun

verb (tr)

Word Origin for plank

British Dictionary definitions for plank (2 of 2)

plank

verb

Word Origin for plank

Idioms and Phrases with plank

plank