bank
bank
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "bank" is /bæŋk/.
/bæŋk/ - one syllable
/b/ - voiced bilabial stop
/æ/ - near-open front unrounded vowel
/ŋ/ - voiced velar nasal
/k/ - voiceless velar stop
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: bank
Plural Noun: banks
Present Tense Verb (third person singular): banks
Present Participle Verb: banking
Past Tense Verb: banked
Past Participle Verb: banked
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: An financial institution that accepts deposits, lends money, and provides other financial services.
Synonyms: financial institution, credit union, savings and loan, treasury
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a financial institution, as it's a specific type of entity. One could consider "debtor" or "borrower" in a very abstract sense, but they don't oppose the institution itself.)
Definition 2: The sloping ground, especially an elevated section, alongside a river, lake, or other body of water.
Synonyms: shore, coast, riverside, embankment, levee, brim
Antonyms: channel, stream (referring to the water itself)
Definition 3: A natural or artificial mound or ridge of earth or sand.
Synonyms: mound, heap, pile, ridge, dune, accumulation
Antonyms: hollow, depression, trough
Definition 4: A collective group or supply of something, often arranged in rows or for a specific purpose.
Synonyms: array, series, set, collection, store, reserve
Antonyms: scattering, dispersal, individual unit
Verb
Definition 1: To deposit money or valuables into a bank (financial institution).
Synonyms: deposit, save, invest, place
Antonyms: withdraw, draw out, spend
Definition 2: To rely on or count on something; to place one's trust in.
Synonyms: rely, depend, count, trust, lean on, bet on
Antonyms: distrust, doubt, mistrust, question
Definition 3: (Of an aircraft or vehicle) To tilt or cause to tilt sideways when turning.
Synonyms: tilt, lean, list, cant, incline
Antonyms: straighten, level, right
Definition 4: To form into a bank or mound; to heap up.
Synonyms: heap, pile, stack, accumulate, gather
Antonyms: disperse, scatter, spread out, flatten
Examples of Use
Books:
"He had often walked along the river bank, watching the water flow by, a silent witness to the city's ceaseless activity." (From The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, August 2020)
"The old man's entire life savings were in that small, local bank, a testament to his trust in traditional institutions." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, August 2018)
Newspapers:
"The Central Bank of Kenya announced a hike in interest rates, aiming to curb inflation." (Business Daily Africa)
"Rescuers searched the river bank after reports of a missing person near the Nairobi National Park." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Tech giant Microsoft recently acquired Activision Blizzard, a move that could significantly alter the gaming bank." (The Verge)
"Travelers are advised to check with their bank about international transaction fees before their trip." (Lonely Planet)
Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television (Dialogue): "I'm going to bank on you to get this done, even though it's a long shot." (From the TV series Succession, Season 4, Episode 7, May 2023)
Music (Lyrics): "Sitting on the bank of the river, watching the day turn to night." (From "Sitting on the Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding, released December 1967)
Film (Dialogue): "We need to hit that bank tonight. It's our only chance." (From the film The Dark Knight, July 2008)
Video Game (Instructions/UI): "Collect enough resources to build a resource bank and expand your base." (From the game Age of Empires IV, October 2021)
General Public Discourse:
"I need to go to the bank after work to deposit my paycheck." (Everyday conversation in Nairobi)
"They found the lost hiker on the far bank of the Mara River." (News report/community discussion)
"You can bank on him to be there when you need him most." (Idiomatic expression, common usage)
"The pilot had to bank sharply to avoid the approaching storm." (Description of an event)
10 Quotes Using Bank
"A bank is a place where they lend you an umbrella in fair weather and ask for it back when it begins to rain." (Robert Frost)
"The world has been run by the dollar, and the dollar has been run by the Federal Reserve Bank." (Rand Paul)
"I believe that if you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem; but if you owe a million, it has." (John Maynard Keynes)
"If you want to know what God thinks of money, just look at who he gives it to. He usually gives it to those who already have a big bank account." (Billy Graham)
"A verbal contract isn't worth the paper it's written on. Except with a bank – then it is!" (Samuel Goldwyn)
"A Communist is a man who has no money in his bank account and thinks he should have." (Ronald Reagan)
"I've never been able to figure out what a good man is, but I know a bad bank when I see one." (Mae West)
"When a man is trying to cross a stream, it is a bad thing to have his attention distracted by a snake on the farther bank." (Woodrow Wilson)
"The best way to rob a bank is to own one." (William K. Black)
"The art of banking is to lend money when the bank has it and to refuse when it doesn't." (Walter Bagehot)
Etymology
The word "bank" has a fascinating history, with its different meanings actually coming from different origins!
Let's break it down:
1. Bank (Financial Institution)
This meaning comes from the Italian word "banca," which literally means "bench" or "table."
Why a bench? Because in medieval Italy, money changers and merchants would conduct their business on benches or tables in public squares. When a money lender went out of business or failed, their "banca" would be broken, leading to the origin of the word "bankruptcy."
The first known use of "bank" in English referring to a financial institution dates back to the late 16th century. It was adopted as financial practices became more organized and widespread.
2. Bank (Of a River, Land Formation)
This meaning has a completely separate origin, coming from Old English "banca" or Old Norse "banki," both of which referred to a "ridge" or "mound" of earth.
Think of the natural raised ground next to a body of water – it's like a long, natural mound.
The first known use of "bank" in English to describe the edge of a river or a raised piece of land is much older than the financial sense, appearing around the early 12th century.
So, while we use the same word "bank" for both a place to keep money and the side of a river, they actually evolved from different linguistic roots and came into English at different times!
Phrases + Idioms Containing Bank
Bank on something/someone: To rely or depend on something or someone.
To break the bank: To spend all of one's money, or more money than one can afford.
Laugh all the way to the bank: To make a lot of money easily, often as a result of something others found foolish or humorous.
Bank holiday: A public holiday when banks and most other businesses are closed.
Bank statement: A printed record of all transactions in a bank account over a specific period.
River bank: The land alongside a river.
To bank up: To pile something into a heap or mound.
Sand bank: A large deposit of sand forming a shallow area in the sea or a river.
Blood bank: A place where blood is stored for transfusions.
Memory bank: The brain, seen as a store of memories.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of bank from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
