n. & v.
n. 1 a the sloping edge of land by a river. b the area of ground alongside a river (had a picnic on the bank). 2 a raised shelf of ground; a slope. 3 an elevation in the sea or a river bed. 4 the artificial slope of a road etc., enabling vehicles to maintain speed round a curve. 5 a mass of cloud, fog, snow, etc. 6 the edge of a hollow place (e.g. the top of a mine-shaft).
v. 1 tr. & intr. (often foll. by up) heap or rise into banks. 2 tr. heap up (a fire) tightly so that it burns slowly. 3 a intr. (of a vehicle or aircraft or its occupant) travel with one side higher than the other in rounding a curve. b tr. cause (a vehicle or aircraft) to do this. 4 tr. contain or confine within a bank or banks. 5 tr. build (a road etc.) higher at the outer edge of a bend to enable fast cornering.
[ ME f. Gmc f. ON banki (unrecorded: cf. OIcel. bakki): rel. to BENCH ]