bank 1
/bangk/ , n.
1. a long pile or heap; mass: a bank of earth; a bank of clouds.
2. a slope or acclivity.
3. Physical Geog. the slope immediately bordering a stream course along which the water normally runs.
4. a broad elevation of the sea floor around which the water is relatively shallow but not a hazard to surface navigation.
5. Coal Mining. the surface around the mouth of a shaft.
6. Also called cant, superelevation . the inclination of the bed of a banked road or railroad.
7. Aeron. the lateral inclination of an aircraft, esp. during a turn.
8. Billiards , Pool. the cushion of the table.
v.t.
9. to border with or like a bank; embank: banking the river with sandbags at flood stage.
10. to form into a bank or heap (usually fol. by up ): to bank up the snow.
11. to build (a road or railroad track) with an upward slope from the inner edge to the outer edge at a curve.
12. Aeron. to tip or incline (an airplane) laterally.
13. Billiards , Pool.
a. to drive (a ball) to the cushion.
b. to pocket (the object ball) by driving it against the bank.
14. to cover (a fire) with ashes or fuel to make it burn long and slowly.
v.i.
15. to build up in or form banks, as clouds or snow.
16. Aeron. to tip or incline an airplane laterally.
17. Horol. (of a lever or balance) to be halted at either end of its oscillation by striking a pin or the like.
18. (of a road or railroad track) to slope upward from the inner edge to the outer edge at a curve.
[ 1150-1200; ME banke, OE hobanca couch; c. ON bakki elevation, hill, Sw backe, Dan bakke bank-on-; perh. akin to Skt bhañj- bend, Lith bangà wave; see BANK 3 , BENCH ]
Syn. 1. embankment, mound, ridge, dike. 3. See shore 1 .
bank 2
/bangk/ , n.
1. an institution for receiving, lending, exchanging, and safeguarding money and, in some cases, issuing notes and transacting other financial business.
2. the office or quarters of such an institution.
3. Games.
a. the stock or fund of pieces from which the players draw.
b. the fund of the manager or the dealer.
4. a special storage place: a blood bank; a sperm bank.
5. a store or reserve.
6. Obs.
a. a sum of money, esp. as a fund for use in business.
b. a moneychanger's table, counter, or shop.
v.i.
7. to keep money in or have an account with a bank: Do you bank at the Village Savings Bank?
8. to exercise the functions of a bank or banker.
9. Games. to hold the bank.
v.t.
10. to deposit in a bank: to bank one's paycheck.
11. bank on or upon , to count on; depend on: You can bank on him to hand you a reasonable bill for his services.
[ 1425-75; late ME banque banca table, counter, moneychanger's table bank BENCH ]
bank 3
/bangk/ , n.
1. an arrangement of objects in a line or in tiers: a bank of seats; a bank of lights.
2. Music. a row of keys on an organ.
3. a row of elevator cars, as in a hotel or high-rise office building.
4. a bench for rowers in a galley.
5. a row or tier of oars.
6. the group of rowers occupying one bench or rowing one oar.
7. Print.
a. (formerly) a bench on which sheets are placed as printed.
b. Also called, esp. Brit., random . the sloping work surface at the top of a compositor's workbench.
c. a table or rack on which type material is stored before being made up in forms.
8. Also called deck . Journalism. a part of a headline containing one or more lines of type, esp. a part that appears below the main part.
9. Elect. a number of similar devices connected to act together: a bank of transformers; a bank of resistors.
v.t.
10. to arrange in a bank: to bank the seats; to bank the lights.
[ 1200-50; ME bank ( e ) banc bench 1 ]