Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense banks, present participle banking, past tense, past participle banked
1. countable noun
A bank is an institution where people or businesses can keep their money.
Which bank offers you the service that best suits your financial needs?
I had £10,000 in the bank.
Synonyms: financial institution, building society, merchant bank, repository More Synonyms of bank
2. countable noun
A bank is a building where a bank offers its services.
3. verb
If you bank money, you pay it into a bank.
Once the agency has banked your cheque, the process begins. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: deposit, keep, clear, save More Synonyms of bank
4. verb
If you bankwith a particular bank, you have an account with that bank.
I've banked with the Co-op for over 20 years. [VERB + with]
5. countable noun [usually noun NOUN]
You use bank to refer to a store of something. For example, a blood bank is a store of blood that is kept ready for use.
Detectives examined the syringe for DNA traces and deposited the information in acentral data bank.
6.
See to break the bank
More Synonyms of bank
bank areas and masses
(bæŋk)
Word forms: plural banks
1. countable noun
The banks of a river, canal, or lake are the raised areas of ground along its edge.
...30 miles of new developments along both banks of the Thames. [+ of]
...an old warehouse on the banks of a canal. [+ of]
Synonyms: side, edge, margin, shore More Synonyms of bank
2. countable noun
A bank of ground is a raised area of it with a flat top and one or two sloping sides.
...resting indolently upon a grassy bank.
Synonyms: mound, banking, rise, hill More Synonyms of bank
3. countable noun
A bankof something is a long high mass of it.
On their journey south they hit a bank of fog off the north-east coast of Scotland. [+ of]
Synonyms: mass, accumulation More Synonyms of bank
4. countable noun
A bankof things, especially machines, switches, or dials, is a row of them, or a series of rows.
The typical laborer now sits in front of a bank of dials. [+ of]
Synonyms: row, group, line, train More Synonyms of bank
5. See also banked
bank other verb uses
(bæŋk)
Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense banks, present participle banking, past tense, past participle banked
verb
When an aircraft banks, one of its wings rises higher than the other, usually when it is changing direction.
A plane took off and banked above the highway in front of him. [VERB]
Synonyms: tilt, tip, pitch, heel More Synonyms of bank
Phrasal verbs:
See bank on
bank in British English1
(bæŋk)
noun
1.
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.
the building used by such an institution
3.
a small container used at home for keeping money
4.
the funds held by a gaming house or a banker or dealer in some gambling games
5. (in various games)
a.
the stock, as of money, pieces, tokens, etc, on which players may draw
b.
the player holding this stock
6.
any supply, store, or reserve, for future use
a data bank
a blood bank
verb
7. (transitive)
to deposit (cash, cheques, etc) in a bank
8. (intransitive)
to transact business with a bank
9. (intransitive)
to engage in the business of banking
10. (intransitive)
to hold the bank in some gambling games
Word origin
C15: probably from Italian banca bench, moneychanger's table, of Germanic origin; compare Old High German bancbench
bank in British English2
(bæŋk)
noun
1.
a long raised mass, esp of earth; mound; ridge
2.
a slope, as of a hill
3.
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
4.
a.
an elevated section, rising to near the surface, of the bed of a sea, lake, or river
b.
(in combination)
sandbank
mudbank
5.
a.
the area around the mouth of the shaft of a mine
b.
the face of a body of ore
6.
the lateral inclination of an aircraft about its longitudinal axis during a turn
7. Also called: 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 reducethe effects of centrifugal force on vehicles, runners, etc, rounding it at speed and in some cases to facilitate drainage
8.
the cushion of a billiard table
verb
9. (whentr, often foll by up)
to form into a bank or mound
10. (transitive)
to border or enclose (a road, etc) with a bank
11. (transitive; sometimes foll byup)
to cover (a fire) with ashes, fresh fuel, etc, so that it will burn slowly
12.
to cause (an aircraft) to tip laterally about its longitudinal axis or (of an aircraft) to tip in this way, espwhile turning
13.
to travel round a bank, esp at high speed
14. (transitive) billiards
to drive (a ball) into the cushion
Word origin
C12: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Icelandic bakki hill, Old Danish banke, Swedish backe
bank in British English3
(bæŋk)
noun
1.
an arrangement of objects, esp similar objects, in a row or in tiers
a bank of dials
2.
a.
a tier of oars in a galley
b.
a bench for the rowers in a galley
3.
a grade of lightweight writing and printing paper used for airmail letters, etc
4. telephony
(in automatic switching) an assembly of fixed electrical contacts forming a rigid unit in a selector or similar device
verb
5. (transitive)
to arrange in a bank
Word origin
C17: from Old French banc bench, of Germanic origin; see bank1
bank in American English1
(bæŋk)
noun
1.
an establishment for receiving, keeping, lending, or, sometimes, issuing money, and making easier the exchange of funds by checks, notes, etc.
2.
the office or building of such an establishment
3.
savings bank (sense 2)
4.
a.
the fund put up by the dealer in baccarat, out of which losses are paid
b.
the entire monetary pool of a gambling establishment
c.
a common fund of chips, pieces, etc. used in playing a game, as poker or dominoes
5. US
a reserve of things for later distribution or use, or a place for this
; specif.,
a.
a store of blood for transfusions, body organs for transplantation, etc.
b.
a store or a device for keeping retrievable data
a memory bank
verb intransitive
6.
to deposit money in or do business with a bank
7.
to operate or manage a bank
8.
to be in charge of the bank, as in some gambling games
verb transitive
9.
to deposit (money) in a bank
SIMILAR WORDS: reˈly
Idioms:
bank on
Word origin
ME banke < MFr banque < OIt banca, orig., table, moneylenders' exchange table < OHG bank, bench: see bank2
bank in American English2
(bæŋk)
noun
1.
a long mound or heap, as of ground, clouds, or snow; ridge
2.
a steep rise or slope, as of a hill
3.
a stretch of rising land at the edge of a body of water, esp. a stream
4.
a shoal or shallow place, as in a sea or lake; esp., a raised part of a continental shelf
5.
the sloping of an airplane laterally to avoid slipping sideways on a turn
6.
the sloping of a road, racing track, etc. laterally along a curve
7. Billiards
cushion (sense 4)
8. Mining
the face or top end of the body of ore
verb transitive
9.
to heap dirt around for protection from cold, light, etc.; embank
10.
to arrange (a fire) by covering with ashes, adding fuel, etc. so that it will burn low and keep longer
11.
to heap or pile up so as to form a bank
12.
to construct (a curve in a road, etc.) so that it slopes up from the inside edge
13.
to slope (an airplane) laterally on a turn, with the inside wing low and the outsidewing high so as to prevent slipping sideways
14. Basketball
to shoot (the ball) so that it bounces from the backboard into the basket
15. Billiards
a.
to stroke (a ball) so that it recoils from a cushion
b.
to make (a shot) in this way
verb intransitive
16.
to take the form of a bank or banks
17.
to fly an airplane with lateral slope on a turn
SIMILAR WORDS: shoal, shore
Word origin
ME banke < (prob. via Anglo-Norm *banki) ON bakki, akin to OHG & Du bank & OE benc, UNRESOLVED CROSS REF
bank in American English3
(bæŋk)
noun
1.
a.
a bench for rowers in a galley
b.
the rowers
2.
a row or tier of oars
3.
a row or tier of objects
a bank of lights
4.
a row of keys in a keyboard or console
5.
any of the subheads under a newspaper headline
verb transitive
6.
to arrange in a bank
Word origin
ME banke < OFr banc, bench < Frank or OHG bank: see bank2
bank in Accounting
(bæŋk)
Word forms: (regular plural) banks
noun
(Accounting: Basic)
A bank is a place or organization that looks after people's money.
The company applied to the bank for a loan.
Students should look to see which bank offers them the service that best suits their financial needs.
A bank is a place or organization that looks after people's money.
bank account, bank reconciliation, bank statement
More idioms containing
bank
laugh all the way to the bank
break the bank
COBUILD Collocations
bank
failing bank
foreign bank
lending bank
mortgage bank
sue the bank
Examples of 'bank' in a sentence
bank
But some banks are unhappy about how much they pay to be part of the network.
The Sun (2017)
They can get a full price and bank the money.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The government stuffed hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer cash into its banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Did the champ bank a huge cheque?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The money would be siphoned into different accounts in other banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
High street banks are about to be forced to redirect all the small business loan applications that they reject to a rival.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This leaves the town with just one bank, which opens only three days a week.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It was built on industry and sits on the river 's banks.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
One method is downloading software on to Android smartphones that allows the user to make contactless payments using stolen bank details.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Thousands face having their identity stolen or their bank accounts emptied.
The Sun (2014)
But what would happen to other banks with similar business models?
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Neither is good for the bank balance or blood pressure.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Why else would you be asking the bank where your money was?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The real return on bank deposits is substantially negative.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The details were then used to clone bank cards and withdraw cash.
The Sun (2006)
You should think about approaching the bank and providing it with full information.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So why did we move from one bank to the other?
Christianity Today (2000)
It surprises me how often people forget to bank cheques.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The company has cash in the bank to do further deals.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Then they were taken towards an earth bank leading to a bridge.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Some investors have given up on making money from bank stocks.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
They brought a police officer to inspect the flood banks beside the ground.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This means the criminals can access bank account details.
The Sun (2011)
He wanted them to guarantee all bank deposits and set out a concrete timetable for action.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Instead teachers can use a bank of tests for their own assessments.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Regulators have often been anxious about very large banks headquartered in small countries.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
He came up with a design for a solar blood bank and then a solar fridge for vaccine storage.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The rating agency questioned the bank's ability to raise enough capital.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In many ways, business is banking on as little changing as possible.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Banks might have to raise fresh capital or pull back from trading, the ratings agency said, and some could face downgrades.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Word lists with
bank
terms used in aviation
In other languages
bank
British English: bank /bæŋk/ NOUN
beside river A bank is the ground beside a river.
We walked along the bank.
American English: bank ridge
Arabic: ضِفَّة
Brazilian Portuguese: margem
Chinese: 堤岸
Croatian: obala rijeke
Czech: břeh
Danish: banke højdedrag
Dutch: oever
European Spanish: ribera
Finnish: penger
French: rive
German: Erdwall
Greek: όχθη
Italian: sponda
Japanese: 土手
Korean: 둑
Norwegian: kant
Polish: brzeg wybrzeże
European Portuguese: margem
Romanian: mal
Russian: отмель
Latin American Spanish: terraplén
Swedish: bank vall
Thai: ตลิ่ง
Turkish: ırmak kıyısı
Ukrainian: берег
Vietnamese: bờ
British English: bank /bæŋk/ NOUN
for money A bank is a place where people can keep their money.
He got some money from the bank.
American English: bank finance
Arabic: بَنْك
Brazilian Portuguese: banco finanças
Chinese: 银行
Croatian: banka
Czech: banka
Danish: bank pengeinstitut
Dutch: bank financieel
European Spanish: banco finanzas
Finnish: pankki
French: banque
German: Bank Finanzen
Greek: τράπεζα
Italian: banca
Japanese: 銀行 finance
Korean: 은행 금융
Norwegian: bank
Polish: bank
European Portuguese: banco finanças
Romanian: bancă
Russian: банк финансовое учреждение
Latin American Spanish: banco finanzas
Swedish: bank ekonomi
Thai: ธนาคาร
Turkish: banka
Ukrainian: банк
Vietnamese: ngân hàng
British English: bank VERB
have an account If you bank with a particular bank, you have an account with that bank.
I have banked with that bank for years.
American English: bank
Brazilian Portuguese: ser cliente de um banco
Chinese: 存款于飞机
European Spanish: tener cuenta en
French: avoir un compte en banque
German: ein Konto haben bei
Italian: avere un conto corrente
Japanese: ~銀行の口座を所有している
Korean: 특정 은행과 거래하다
European Portuguese: ser cliente de um banco
Latin American Spanish: tener cuenta en
British English: bank VERB
money If you bank money, you pay it into a bank.
Once you have registered your particulars with an agency and it has banked your cheque, the process begins.
American English: bank
Brazilian Portuguese: depositar
Chinese: 存飞机
European Spanish: ingresaren el banco
French: verser
German: einzahlen
Italian: versareassegno
Japanese: >預ける銀行に金を
Korean: 예금하다
European Portuguese: depositar
Latin American Spanish: ingresar
All related terms of 'bank'
bank on
If you bank on something happening , you expect it to happen and rely on it happening.
bad bank
a financial institution set up to hold and manage underperforming assets owned by other banks
bank bill
a bill of exchange drawn by one bank on another
bank card
A bank card is a plastic card which your bank gives you so you can get money from your bank account using a cash machine . It is also called an → ATM card in American English .
Bank Giro
a British giro system operated by clearing banks to enable customers to pay sums of money to others by credit transfer
bank loan
a sum of money borrowed by a customer or business from a bank , often for a specific purpose, such as buying a car
bank note
a promissory note issued by a bank , payable on demand : it is a form of paper money
bank raid
an attack on a bank, often involving firearms and violence , with the aim of stealing money or other valuables
bank rate
The bank rate is the rate of interest at which a bank lends money , especially the minimum rate of interest that banks are allowed to charge , which is decided by the country's central bank.
data bank
A data bank is the same as a → database .
fog bank
A fog bank is an area of thick fog, especially at sea.
food bank
A food bank is a place where food and groceries are given free to people who need them.
gene bank
a collection of seeds, plants, tissue cultures , etc, of potentially useful species, esp species containing genes of significance to the breeding of crops
land bank
a bank that issues banknotes on the security of property
Left Bank
a district of Paris , on the S bank of the River Seine ; frequented by artists , students , etc
milk bank
a place where breast milk can be donated for babies who cannot be breastfed or breastfed sufficiently by their mothers
snow bank
a long raised mass of fallen snow
soil bank
(in the US) a federal programme by which farmers are paid to divert land to soil-enriching crops
West Bank
area on the W bank of the Jordan River: part of Jordan since 1949 & occupied by Israel since 1967: an agreement in 1994 provided for a transfer of authority of Palestinians in stages that would result in self-rule
bank bonus
A bonus is an extra amount of money that is added to someone's pay, usually because they have worked very hard.
bank check
A bank check is a check that you can buy from a bank in order to pay someone who is not willing to accept a personal check.
bank clerk
an employee of a bank
bank draft
A bank draft is a cheque which you can buy from a bank in order to pay someone who is not willing to accept a personal cheque.
bank engine
a fishing vessel of Newfoundland
bank fraud
Fraud is the crime of gaining money or financial benefits by a trick or by lying.
bank paper
bank notes collectively
bank robber
someone who steals from a bank, often using violence
bank vault
a strongroom in a bank for the storage of valuable items
blood bank
A blood bank is a place where blood which has been taken from blood donors is stored until it is needed for people in hospital .
bottle bank
A bottle bank is a large container into which people can put empty bottles so that the glass can be used again.
Dogger Bank
an extensive submerged sandbank in the North Sea between N England and Denmark : fishing ground
double-bank
to carry a second person on (a horse, bicycle , etc)
memory bank
(of a computer) the part where memory is stored
organ bank
a facility that manages organs for transplant
oyster bank
a place, esp on the sea bed , where oysters breed and grow naturally or are cultivated for food or pearls
piggy bank
A piggy bank is a small container shaped like a pig, with a narrow hole in the top through which to put coins. Children often use piggy banks to save money .
river bank
A river bank is the land along the edge of a river.
sperm bank
a place in which semen is stored until it is required for artificial insemination
state bank
(in the US) a commercial bank incorporated under a State charter and not required to be a member of the Federal Reserve System
toxic bank
a financial institution set up to hold and manage underperforming assets owned by other banks
World Bank
an international cooperative organization established in 1945 under the Bretton Woods Agreement to assist economic development, esp of developing countries, by the advance of loans guaranteed by member governments
advising bank
a bank that advises the intended beneficiary of a letter of credit that it has received the letter of credit, checks documents presented by the beneficiary with the issuing bank, and issues funds to the beneficiary
bank account
A bank account is an arrangement with a bank which allows you to keep your money in the bank and to take some out when you need it.
bank annuity
an irredeemable British government security carrying an annual interest rate of two and a half or four per cent
bank balance
Your bank balance is the amount of money that you have in your bank account at a particular time.
bank charges
penalties charged by a bank to a customer , for example when the customer's account is overdrawn or if a cheque is not honoured
bank deposit
money placed in a bank account
bank details
Details about someone or something are facts or pieces of information about them.
bank discount
interest on a loan deducted from the principal amount when the loan is made and based on the loan's face value