■ noun
1》 a large receptacle or storage chamber, especially for liquid or gas.
↘the container holding the fuel supply in a motor vehicle.
↘ Indian & Austral./NZ a reservoir.
2》 a receptacle with transparent sides in which to keep fish; an aquarium.
3》 a heavy armoured fighting vehicle carrying guns and moving on a continuous articulated metal track.
4》 N. Amer. informal a cell in a police station or jail.
■ verb
1》 ( be/get ~ed up ) informal drink heavily or become drunk.
2》 (usu. ~ up ) fill the ~ of a vehicle with fuel.
3》 N. Amer. informal fail completely or disastrously.
↘(in sport) deliberately lose or fail to finish (a match).
Derivatives
~ful noun ( plural ~fuls ).
~less adjective
Origin
C17: perh. from Gujarati tānku̴ or Marathi tānkẽ 'underground cistern', prob. influenced by Port. tangue 'pond'.