What does "plank" mean?
A long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.
Plank
/plæŋk/ name, noun, verb, slang
name, noun, verb, slang ·Common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.
- Grammar: plank is listed as name, noun, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: board, adhesive tape, band, bandage.
- Useful contrasts: collapse, lodgepole, remove.
- Usage evidence: He hammered nails into the plank.
How to use "plank"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "plank" 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 "plank" 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 "plank" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "plank" 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 "plank" is acting as name, noun, verb, slang 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 "board" 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 "plank", 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 long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.
- 2 an endorsed policy in the platform of a political party wordnet
- 3 A political issue that is of concern to a faction or a party of the people and the political position that is taken on that issue. figuratively
"Germanization was a central plank of German conservative thinking in the 19th and 20th centuries."
- 4 a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes wordnet
- 5 Physical exercise in which one holds a pushup position for a measured length of time.
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 A stupid person, idiot. British, slang
- 7 That which supports or upholds.
"His charity is a better plank than the faith of an intolerant and bitter-minded bigot."
Verb
- 1 To cover something with planking. transitive
"to plank a floor or a ship"
- 2 cook and serve on a plank wordnet
- 3 To bake (fish, etc.) on a piece of cedar lumber. transitive
"Along the lower river, planked shad dinners (baked and broiled) were highly popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries."
- 4 cover with planks wordnet
- 5 To lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash. colloquial, transitive
"to plank money in a wager"
Show 4 more definitions
- 6 set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise wordnet
- 7 To harden, as hat bodies, by felting. transitive
- 8 To splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing.
- 9 To pose for a photograph while lying rigid, face down, arms at side, in an unusual place. intransitive
"The woman, known as Claudia, fell from a 2m wall after earlier demonstrating the wrong way to plank on a small stool while holding a bottle of wine. A friend said some guests had not heard of planking and Claudia was demonstrating how ridiculous it was."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
Example
"He hammered nails into the plank."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "plank"?
Common synonyms include: board, adhesive tape, band, bandage, batten, beam.
How do you use "plank" in a sentence?
He hammered nails into the plank.
How do you pronounce "plank"?
Pronounced /plæŋk/.
Etymology
From Middle English plank, planke, borrowed from Old French planke, Old Northern French planque (compare French planche, from Old French planche), from Vulgar Latin planca, from palanca, from Latin phalanga. The Latin term derives from the Ancient Greek φάλαγξ (phálanx), so it is thus a doublet of phalange and phalanx. Compare also the doublets planch and planche, and plancha, borrowed later from Middle French, Modern French, and Spanish, respectively.