bank

Definition of bank

Pronunciation

• IPA: /bæŋk/
• (Tasmanian) IPA: /bɔŋk/
• Audio (US) ^[?]
• Rhymes: -æŋk

Etymology 1

Middle English from Middle French banque, from Italian banca ("counter, moneychanger's table"), of Germanic origin, from Old High German bank, banch, banc ("counter, bench"), from Proto-Germanic *bankiz ("bench, counter")

Noun

bank (plural banks)

1. An institution where one can place and borrow money and take care of financial affairs.
2. A branch office of such an institution
3. An underwriter or controller of a card game, also banque.
4. A safe and guaranteed place of storage for and retrieval of important items or goods.
   
   blood bank
   sperm bank
   data bank
   
   
5. An edge of a river or lake
6. A slope of earth etc.; an embankment

Related terms

• bankrupt

Verb

to bank (third-person singular simple present banks, present participle banking, simple past and past participle banked)

1. (intransitive) To deal with a bank or financial institution.
   
   He banked with Barclays.
   
   
2. (transitive) To put into a bank.
   
   I'm going to bank the money.

Derived terms

• bank on

Etymology 2

Middle English banke, from Old English hōbanca ("couch") and Old English bank, hillock, embankment from Proto-Germanic *bankōn-. Akin to Old Norse elevation, hill

Noun

bank (plural banks)

1. An edge of river or other watercourse.
2. (nautical) An elevation, or rising ground, under the sea; a shallow area of shifting sand, gravel, mud, and so forth (for example, a sandbank or mudbank).
3. An embankment
4. (aviation) The incline of an aircraft, especially during a turn.
5. (rail transport) an incline, a hill

Verb

to bank (third-person singular simple present banks, present participle banking, simple past and past participle banked)

1. (intransitive, aviation) To roll or incline laterally in order to turn.
2. (transitive) To cause (an aircraft) to bank.
3. (transitive) To form into a bank or heap, to bank up.
4. (transitive) To cover the embers of a fire with ashes in order to retain heat.

Etymology 3

Middle English bank ("bank"), banke, from Old French banc ("bench"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish *bank. Akin to Old English benc ("bench")

Noun

bank (plural banks)

1. A row or panel of items stored or grouped together.
   
   a bank of switches
   
   
2. A row of keys on a musical keyboard or the equivalent on a typewriter keyboard.

Verb

to bank (third-person singular simple present banks, present participle banking, simple past and past participle banked)

1. (transitive, order and arrangement) To arrange or order in a row.

Anagrams

• Alphagram: abkn
• nabk

Further reading

A bank is a financial institution licensed by a government. Its primary activities include providing financial services to customers while enriching its investors. Many financial activities were allowed over time. For example banks are important players in financial markets and offer financial services such as investment funds. In some countries such as Germany, banks have historically owned major stakes in industrial corporations while in other countries such as the United States banks are prohibited from owning non-financial companies. In Japan, banks are usually the nexus of a cross-share holding entity known as the zaibatsu. In France, bancassurance is prevalent, as most banks offer insurance services (and now real estate services) to their clients.

The level of government regulation of the banking industry varies widely, with countries such as Iceland, having relatively light regulation of the banking sector, and countries such as China having a wide variety regulations but no systematic process that can be followed typical of a communist system.

Translation of bank in Malay

Noun

institution

1. bank

branch office of such an institution

1. bank