bank

BANGK/bæŋk/

36 meanings of bank

1
money companynouncountable
A business that keeps and lends money, or one of its offices where people go to do this.
Like a strong safe that also helps you pay bills and lends you money.
My bank sends me a message every time I spend money.
The bank lent them enough money to buy a car.
UsageSay I went to the bank, or a loan from the bank.
2
river edgenouncountable
The land along the edge of a river, lake, or stream.
Like the side of a bathtub that holds the water in.
We sat on the bank and watched the boats go by.
Children fished from the grassy bank all afternoon.
UsageSay we sat on the bank.
Similarshore, edge
Note
3
nouncountablein compounds
A safe place where important things are kept and can be taken out when needed.
Like a treasure chest that keeps things safe until you need them.
The hospital keeps a bank of donated blood for emergencies.
Doctors drew on the blood bank when supplies ran low.
UsageSay a blood bank or a food bank.
Similarrepository, store, reserve
Note
4
nouncountable
A raised slope of earth, sand, or other material.
Like a pile of dirt heaped up along the side of something.
The car slid off the road and into a grassy bank.
They built a low bank of earth to hold back the flooding.
Similarembankment, slope, mound, ridge
5
row of thingsnouncountable
A row or group of the same kind of things, like screens, switches or keys, placed together.
Like a row of seats all lined up next to each other.
The guard watched a bank of screens showing every door.
A whole bank of computers filled the room.
UsageSay a bank of screens.
Similararray, row, set
Note
6
sea shallowsnouncountable
A raised part of the sea floor, often of sand or gravel, where the water is shallow.
Like a hidden hill under the water that boats can crash into.
Fishing boats gather over the bank where the fish are plentiful.
The ship ran aground on a hidden bank.
Similarbar
Note

Less common meanings

7
coin boxnouncountable
A small container for saving coins or money at home.
Like a special jar where you drop your spare coins.
The child dropped her coins into a bank shaped like a pig.
He smashed the bank open to count his savings.
UsageA child keeps coins in a piggy bank.
Similarmoneybox
8
verbintransitive
To feel sure you can trust someone or something, or that something will happen.
You can bank on me to be there on Saturday.
Don't bank on sunny weather for the picnic.
UsageSay don't bank on good weather.
Similarcount, rely, depend
9
be a customerverbintransitive
To put money in a bank or use a particular bank.
Like always shopping at the same store because you trust it.
We bank at the small branch in town.
She has banked there for twenty years.
UsageUse with or at: I bank with the same bank as my parents.
Note
10
lean into a turnverbintransitive
Of a plane or other vehicle, to lean to one side while turning, or to make it do this.
Like tilting your body to one side as you turn while skating.
The plane began to bank as it neared the coast.
Birds bank sharply to change direction in flight.
UsageSay the plane banked to the left.
Similartilt, lean
Note
11
verbtransitive
To save up something that is not money, like hours or points, so you can use it later.
She banks her vacation days for a long trip in the summer.
You can bank your reward points and use them next month.
Similarsave, stockpile
Oppositespend
12
lots of moneynounslanguncountable
A lot of money or profit.
Like having a big stack of cash in your pocket.
That new job pays serious bank.
They made bank selling tickets outside the stadium.
UsageSay they made bank.
Similarmoney, cash, dough, bread
Note
13
build up (clouds)verbintransitive
To pile up into a sloping heap, like snow or clouds, or to build a wall of earth around something.
Like leaves piling up in a corner when the wind blows.
Snow banked up against the back door overnight.
Thick clouds bank over the hills before rain.
UsageSay snow banked up against the door.
Note
14
nouncountable
The sideways tilt of an airplane, especially when it turns.
Like leaning your bike to one side as you turn a corner.
The plane went into a steep bank as it circled the airport.
A gentle bank brought the jet onto its new heading.
UsageThe plane went into a steep bank.
Similartilt, roll, lean
Note
15
mass of cloudnouncountable
A wide, thick mass of clouds in the sky.
Like a big pile of cotton wool spread across the sky.
A dark bank of clouds rolled in before the storm.
The sun disappeared behind a thick bank of cloud.
UsageSay a bank of clouds.
Similarmass, layer, wall
16
nouncountable
A pool of money made from deposits, used to do business.
Let it be no bank or common stock, but every man be master of his own money.
1625, Francis [Bacon], “Of Usury”Here, bank means a shared fund of money that people pool together.
Similarfund, pool, kitty
Note
17
dealer's fundnouncountable
In a betting game, the dealer or house, or the money they keep to pay winners.
Like a pot of money the dealer uses to pay whoever wins.
The dealer's bank ran low after a string of wins.
He added more chips to the bank before the next round.
Note
18
set in a rowverbtransitive
To put things in a neat row or line.
Like lining up your toys in neat rows on a shelf.
Rows of TV screens were banked along the store wall.
The washing machines were banked along the back wall of the shop.
UsageSay rows of screens were banked along the wall.
Similararrange, array, range, align
19
dominoesnouncountable
A pile of extra game pieces that players can draw from.
Like a stack of spare cards everyone can pick from when they need one.
She drew three tiles from the bank.
When the bank was empty, no one could draw more.
Similarboneyard
20
keep fire inverbtransitive
To cover the hot coals of a fire with ash so they keep their heat.
Like tucking a blanket over coals to hold in the warmth.
She banked the fire before going to bed.
We bank the coals each night to keep them warm till morning.
21
serve clientsverbtransitive
To handle the money and accounts of a person or business.
Like someone who looks after your money and payments for you.
Big lenders bank thousands of small shops across the city.
The credit union banks most of the farmers in our town.
UsageA bank banks its customers. Customers bank with it.
Note
22
verbtransitive
To build a road, track, or runway so that its outside edge is higher on a curve.
Workers will bank the new curve so cars can take it safely.
The bike track is banked at each end.
UsageSay a banked curve.
Similartilt, slope
Note
23
verbtransitivesports
To make a ball or puck hit something, like the board behind a basket, and then go in.
Try to bank the ball off the backboard from the side.
She banked the last ball into the corner pocket.
UsageSay bank the ball off the glass.
Similarbounce
Note
24
noun
A separate block of computer memory of a fixed size.
25
nounUK
An uphill stretch of railway track that a train has to climb.
26
verbUK
To add another engine to help a train climb a steep slope.
27
verbslang
To hide something inside your bottom to keep or use it in prison.
28
noun
In a coal mine, the wall of coal being dug out at the moment.
29
noun
A mass of coal or ore, mined through openings above the water level.
30
noun
The area around the opening of a mine shaft, above ground.
31
verbobsolete
To go past a place by moving along the water's edge beside it.
Have I not heard these islanders shout out / Vive le roi! as I have banked their towns?
c. 1595, William Shakespeare, King John
32
noun
A seat for people rowing an old ship, or one row of oars.
33
noun
The seat in court where a judge or a group of judges sits.
34
noun
A meeting of all the judges of a court to decide legal questions, without a jury.
35
nounarchaic
A table that printers use in their work.
36
noun
One row of keys on an organ or similar instrument.

Practice

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Origins

Meanings 1, 3, 7–9, 11–12, 16–17, 19, 21

It came from Italian 'banca', meaning a moneychanger's bench or table. The word goes back through old Germanic words for 'bench' or 'counter'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 2 facts

The financial sense derives from Italian banca, meaning a moneychanger's bench or table. en.wiktionary.org
The Italian word has Germanic ancestors meaning bench or counter. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 2, 4, 6, 10, 13–15, 20, 22–23

It came from Old English words meaning 'bench' and 'bank, hillock, embankment', from old Germanic roots. It is related to Old Norse 'bakki', meaning 'hill'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

This bank derives from Old English words meaning 'bench' and 'bank, hillock, embankment'. en.wiktionary.org
The Old English forms have Germanic roots. en.wiktionary.org
Bank is related to Old Norse bakki, meaning 'hill'. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 5, 18

It came from Old French 'banc', meaning 'bench', from a Frankish and Germanic word for 'bench'.

Checked 31 Oct 2026 · 3 facts

This sense of bank derives from Old French banc. en.wiktionary.org
Old French banc meant bench. en.wiktionary.org
Old French banc derives from a Frankish word ultimately traced to a Germanic word meaning bench. en.wiktionary.org