noun Uncommon

plank

PLANGK

Plank (noun) means a long, flat, thick piece of sawn timber. Example: “He nailed a plank across the gap to make a bridge.”

noun

A long, flat, thick piece of sawn timber.

"He nailed a plank across the gap to make a bridge."

"The old jetty was built from weathered wooden planks."

A specific policy or issue that forms part of a political party's platform.

"Tax reform was a key plank of her election campaign."

An exercise in which a person holds a rigid, face-down position supported on the forearms and toes.

"He held a plank for two minutes straight to strengthen his core."

verb

To lie face down, rigid, arms at the sides, in an unusual or incongruous location, typically for a photo.

"They planked on the office desks as a joke for the photo."

How to use plank

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA thick wooden board; also a core-strengthening exercise, and a policy point in politics.

Common pairings

wooden plank hold a plank party plank walk the plank

Word forms

planked past tense, planks plural, Planks plural, planks singular

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He nailed a _____ across the gap to make a bridge.

Etymology

From Old French planke, ultimately from Latin phalanga, itself borrowed from Greek phalanx — the same root that gives us "phalanx."

Origin: Latin

Synonyms

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board plop plonk plump flump plunk plank over plump down plunk down

Related words

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Rhymes for plank

bank dank tank wank rank Hank drank stank thank frank prank swank

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Frequently asked questions

What does “plank” mean?

The word “plank” means a long, flat, thick piece of sawn timber. In plain terms, a thick wooden board; also a core-strengthening exercise, and a policy point in politics.

How do you pronounce “plank”?

“Plank” is pronounced PLANGK (/ˈplæŋk/ in IPA).

How do you use “plank” in a sentence?

Here is “plank” used in a sentence: “He nailed a plank across the gap to make a bridge.”

What part of speech is “plank”?

Depending on how it is used, “plank” can be a noun and a verb.

Where does the word “plank” come from?

The word “plank” comes from Latin. From Old French planke, ultimately from Latin phalanga, itself borrowed from Greek phalanx — the same root that gives us "phalanx.".

Is “plank” a common word?

“Plank” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “plank” have?

“Plank” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a long, flat, thick piece of sawn timber.

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