1
: a mound, pile, or ridge raised above the surrounding level: such as
a
: a piled-up mass of cloud or fog
a fog bank
a bank of dark clouds
b
: an undersea elevation rising especially from the continental shelf
2
: the rising ground bordering a lake, river, or sea or forming the edge of a cut or hollow
We lived along the banks of the Mississippi River.
3
a
: a steep slope (as of a hill)
climbed a steep bank up to the cabin
b
: the lateral inward tilt of a surface along a curve
The engineers hadn't given the road enough bank.
: the lateral inward tilt of a vehicle (such as an airplane) when turning
The bomber crossed the target area in a sharp bank.
4
: a protective or cushioning rim or piece
banked; banking; banks
1
a
: to build a raised border of earth around : to raise a bank (see bank entry 1 sense 2) about
bank a fishpond
b
: to restrict the flow of air to (a fire) especially by piling ash around or over the burning embers
They banked the campfire at midnight so it could be easily revived in the morning.
c
: to build (a curve) with the roadbed or track inclined laterally upward from the inside edge
2
: to heap or pile in a bank
banking sand up along a river to prevent flooding
3
a
billiards
: to drive (a ball) into a cushion
b
sports
: to bounce (a ball or shot) off a surface (such as a backboard) into or toward a goal
bank in a rebound
4
: to form or group in a tier
1
: to rise in or form a bank
—often used with up
clouds would bank up about midday, and showers fall—William Beebe
2
a
: to incline an airplane laterally
The pilot banked right.
b(1)
: to incline laterally
torpedo planes … darting in to attack, then banking off—K. M. Dodson
(2)
: to follow a curve or incline
skiers banking around the turn
1
a
: an establishment for the custody, loan, exchange, or issue of money, for the extension of credit, and for facilitating the transmission of funds
paychecks automatically deposited into the bank
went to the bank to make a withdrawal
open a bank account
b
obsolete
: the table, counter, or place of business of a money changer
2
: a person conducting a gambling house or game
specifically
: dealer
3
: a supply of something held in reserve: such as
a
in games
: the fund of supplies (such as money, chips, or pieces) held by the banker (see banker entry 1 sense 2) or dealer
b
in games
: a fund of pieces (such as dominoes) from which the players draw
select another domino from the bank
4
: a place where something is held available
memory banks
especially
: a depot for the collection and storage of a biological product
a blood bank
banked; banking; banks
1
: to manage a bank
2
: to deposit money or have an account in a bank (see bank entry 3 sense 1a)
choosing where to bank
: to deposit or store in a bank
bank a check
Whole blood … could be banked indefinitely …—Time
1
: a group or series of objects arranged together in a row or a tier
a bank of vending machines
: such as
a
: a set of elevators
b
: a row or tier of telephones
worked at a phone bank calling potential donors
2
journalism
: one of the horizontal and usually secondary or lower divisions of a headline
reading the bank of the headline
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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