Collins English-English Dictionary

bank [bæŋk]

1. 1. n an institution offering certain financial services, such as the safekeeping of money, conversion of domestic into and from foreign currencies, lending of money at interest, and acceptance of bills of exchange

2. 2. n the building used by such an institution

3. 3. n a small container used at home for keeping money

4. 4. n the funds held by a gaming house or a banker or dealer in some gambling games

5. 5. n the stock, as of money, pieces, tokens, etc, on which players may draw

6. 6. n the player holding this stock

7. 7. n any supply, store, or reserve, for future use

   a data bank

   a blood bank

8. 8. vt. [tr] to deposit (cash, cheques, etc) in a bank

9. 9. vi. [intr] to transact business with a bank

10. 10. vi. [intr] to engage in the business of banking

11. 11. vi. [intr] to hold the bank in some gambling games

12. 12. vi. See also bank on

13. 13. vi. [Etymology] C15: probably from Italian banca bench, moneychanger's table, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German banc bench

bank [bæŋk]

1. 1. n a long raised mass, esp of earth; mound; ridge

2. 2. n banking camber cant superelevation a bend on a road or on a railway, athletics, cycling, or other track having the outside built higher than the inside in order to reduce the effects of centrifugal force on vehicles, runners, etc, rounding it at speed and in some cases to facilitate drainage

3. 3. n a slope, as of a hill

4. 4. n the sloping side of any hollow in the ground, esp when bordering a river

   the left bank of a river is on a spectator's left looking downstream

5. 5. n an elevated section, rising to near the surface, of the bed of a sea, lake, or river

6. 6. n (in combination)

   sandbank

   mudbank

7. 7. n the area around the mouth of the shaft of a mine

8. 8. n the face of a body of ore

9. 9. n the lateral inclination of an aircraft about its longitudinal axis during a turn

10. 10. n the cushion of a billiard table

11. 11. vb [when tr, often foll by up] to form into a bank or mound

12. 12. vt. [tr] to border or enclose (a road, etc) with a bank

13. 13. vt. [tr, sometimes foll by up] to cover (a fire) with ashes, fresh fuel, etc, so that it will burn slowly

14. 14. vt. to cause (an aircraft) to tip laterally about its longitudinal axis or (of an aircraft) to tip in this way, esp while turning

15. 15. vt. to travel round a bank, esp at high speed

16. 16. vt. [tr] [billiards] to drive (a ball) into the cushion

17. 17. vt. [Etymology] C12: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Icelandic bakki hill, Old Danish banke, Swedish backe

bank [bæŋk]

1. 1. n an arrangement of objects, esp similar objects, in a row or in tiers

   a bank of dials

2. 2. n a tier of oars in a galley

3. 3. n a bench for the rowers in a galley

4. 4. n a grade of lightweight writing and printing paper used for airmail letters, etc

5. 5. n [telephony] (in automatic switching) an assembly of fixed electrical contacts forming a rigid unit in a selector or similar device

6. 6. vt. [tr] to arrange in a bank

7. 7. vt. [Etymology] C17: from Old French banc bench, of Germanic origin; see bank¹