bank

UK: bæŋk | US: bæŋk

Definition

  1. n. 1. A financial institution that accepts deposits and lends money.

  2. n. 2. The land alongside or sloping down to a river or lake.

  3. v. 3. To deposit or store money in a bank.

  4. v. 4. To tilt or incline (e.g., an aircraft).

Structure

No data yet.

Etymology

The word "bank" has two distinct origins:

  1. Financial Institution: Derived from Old Italian banca (bench or moneylender's table), from Germanic bankiz (bench). Moneylenders in medieval Italy conducted transactions on benches, giving rise to the term.
  2. Landform: From Old Norse bakki (ridge or slope), referring to the raised land alongside water.

Despite identical spelling, the two meanings evolved independently from different Germanic roots.

Examples

  1. She deposited her savings at the local bank.

  2. We picnicked on the grassy bank of the river.

  3. The pilot had to bank the plane sharply to avoid turbulence.

  4. The bank approved his loan application.

  5. Erosion caused the riverbank to collapse.