What does "hank" mean?
A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope.
Hank
/hæŋk/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope.
- Grammar: hank is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: animal fiber, artificial fiber, bundle, button.
- Useful contrasts: uncoiled length.
- Usage evidence: Bob and Hank are duking it out in the alley behind the bar.
How to use "hank"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "hank" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "hank" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "hank" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "hank" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "hank" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "animal fiber" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "hank", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope.
"1681, E.R., The Experienced Farrier, London, p. 307, […] the best thing of all to stop bleeding at the Nose, is to take a Hank of Coventry-blew thread, and hang it cross a stick, and set one end of it on fire […] and let him receive the smoak up his Nostrils […]"
- 2 a coil of rope or wool or yarn wordnet
- 3 A ring or shackle that secures a staysail to its stay and allows the sail to glide smoothly up and down.
- 4 Doubt, difficulty. Ulster
- 5 Mess, tangle. Ulster
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A rope or withe for fastening a gate.
- 7 Hold; influence. obsolete
"Seldom doth a man fall into a Preſumptuous Sin, but vvhere the Devil hath got ſuch a hanke over him, […]"
- 8 A throw in which a wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, twines his left leg about his opponent's right leg from the inside, and throws him backward.
Verb
- 1 To form into hanks. transitive
- 2 To fasten with a rope, as a gate. UK, dialectal, transitive
"where stood a fyne howse newly built and vaulted, over wheron her armes was sett and hanked with tapestrye"
Proper Noun
- 1 A diminutive of the male given name Henry.
- 2 A diminutive of the male given name Hankin (a medieval form of John). archaic
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
uncoiled length
Example
"Bob and Hank are duking it out in the alley behind the bar."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "hank"?
Common synonyms include: animal fiber, artificial fiber, bundle, button, capillament, cilium.
How do you use "hank" in a sentence?
Bob and Hank are duking it out in the alley behind the bar.
How do you pronounce "hank"?
Pronounced /hæŋk/.
Etymology
From Middle English hank, of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse hǫnk (compare haki (“something bent”)), related to Proto-Germanic *hakô (“hook”). Akin to Old English hangian (“to hang”). First known use: 14th century.