I. ˈdaŋk adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: Middle English danke, adjective & noun, probably of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse dökk pit, pool, Swedish (dial.) dunken moist; akin to Old High German tunkal dark, obscure, Old Norse dökkr dark, Latvian danga mudhole, Hittite dankuiš dark, Old English dim — more at dim
1. : wet or moist especially in a disagreeable way : damp , humid
dank caves
the air came up cold and dank from the surface of the water — Dorothy Sayers
the dank hot lowlands of Amazonia
2. : rank
a dank smell of rotting vegetation
dank horror, foul and leering — Claudia Cassidy
Synonyms: see wet
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English danke
1. : moisture , wetness
the raw dank of the November afternoon — Marguerite Steen
2. : a wet place : marsh
a dank crisscrossed by the numerous streams of the Pearl river delta — American Guide Series: Louisiana