Link Centre Dictionary

flank

UK/ˈflæŋk/ US/ˈflæŋk/ fairly common us
verb (1) noun (4)

verb

1.

be located at the sides of something or somebody

noun

1.

the side of military or naval formation

  • “they attacked the enemy”
Synonyms
2.

a subfigure consisting of a side of something

3.

a cut from the fleshy part of an animal''s side between the ribs and the leg

4.

the side between ribs and hipbone

Origin

From Late Middle English flanc, from Late Old English flanc (“flank”), from Old French flanc, of Germanic origin, probably Frankish *hlanca, from Proto-West Germanic *hlanku (“bend, curve, hip, flank”), from Proto-Germanic *hlankaz (“flexible, sleek, bendsome”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleng- (“to bend”). Akin to Old High German hlanca (“loin”), Middle Low German lanke (“hip joint”) (German lenken (“to bend, turn, lead”)), Old English hlanc (“loose, slender, flaccid, lank”). More at lank.

Phrases

  • flank eruption
  • flank speed
  • oblique flank

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Parts

Part of

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.