lank

[ langk ]

adjective

, lank·er, lank·est.

1. (of plants) unduly long and slender:

   lank grass; lank, leafless trees.

2. (of hair) straight and limp; without spring or curl.
3. lean; gaunt; thin.

lank

¹

/ læŋk /

adjective

1. long and limp
2. thin or gaunt

lank

²

/ læŋk /

adjective

1. informal.
   a lot; a great deal

Derived Forms

• ˈlankness, noun
• ˈlankly, adverb

Other Words From

• lankly adverb
• lankness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of lank¹

before 1000; Middle English lanc, Old English hlanc; akin to Old High German hlanca loin, side. flank

Word History and Origins

Origin of lank¹

Old English hlanc loose

Origin of lank²

perhaps from Afrikaans lank long

Example Sentences

He has lank hair to his shoulders and owlish glasses; he looks like he might start shaving in a year or two.

From Washington Post

Her hair is lank, unwashed, and she hides herself in oversized clothes.

From Salon

“He looks convincingly ancient, with lank white hair and stubbly beard, and he performs with the creaky, painful movements of a weary, stiff-jointed old man.”

From New York Times

“Behind the undone chignon, the back of Donald Trump is covered in white lank,” the machine wrote.

From New York Times

As toxic algal blooms in the Klamath basin's main lank threaten the also-endangered suckerfish a month earlier than "normal," water is in short supply and dead juvenile chinook salmon are found every day.

From Fox News