plank
a long, flat piece of timber, thicker than a board.
lumber in such pieces; planking.
something to stand on or to cling to for support.
any one of the stated principles or objectives comprising the political platform of a party campaigning for election: They fought for a plank supporting a nuclear freeze.
to lay, cover, or furnish with planks.
to bake or broil and serve (steak, fish, chicken, etc.) on a wooden board.
Idioms about plank
walk the plank,
to be forced, as by pirates, to walk to one's death by stepping off a plank extending from the ship's side over the water.
to relinquish something, as a position, office, etc., under compulsion: We suspect that the new vice-president walked the plank because of a personality clash.
Origin of plank
1Other words from plank
- plankless, adjective
- planklike, adjective
- un·planked, adjective
Words Nearby plank
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use plank in a sentence
This house featured wide plank flooring and a massive chimney.
This might be Washington’s oldest house, but it came from New England | John Kelly | November 28, 2020 | Washington PostIf this variation is too easy, do the move from a plank position.
Luckily for Signet, e-commerce was already a big plank in Drosos’s three-year “Path to Brilliance” turnaround plan, now in its third year.
The company behind Kay and Zales wants to give jewelry shopping a pandemic-era makeover | Phil Wahba | November 12, 2020 | FortuneTo take the challenge even further, try it in a full plank position.
Jessie Diggins's Killer 8-Minute Core Workout | Hayden Carpenter | October 30, 2020 | Outside OnlineGo as far as you can while maintaining a strong plank position—no lifting, sagging, or rotating the hips—and keep your core engaged throughout the movement.
Jessie Diggins's Killer 8-Minute Core Workout | Hayden Carpenter | October 30, 2020 | Outside Online
Lacking any sense of irony, Eldridge made campaign-finance reform a signature plank.
The Rise and Fall of Chris Hughes and Sean Eldridge, America’s Worst Gay Power Couple | James Kirchick | December 9, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWe all jumped from our seats and stood rigid as plank boards.
It has a lovely rustic feel with plank wooden floors and uncovered fireplaces.
The Hell of the Hamptons: Why the Exclusive Hotspot Is a Mind-Numbing Drag | Robert Gold | August 18, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAnd John McCain actually had a decent-ish health-care platform plank in 2008.
First Duggan defied him, then Rusev smashed Duggan's plank over his knee.
The body was resting upon a plank supported by four stakes and covered with skins.
I like sus-sus-pen-sheen bridges that fly from bank to bank, with one big step, like a gang-plank.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II | Rudyard KiplingHe did not tell the name of his friend, who, as if loath to cross the plank, held back for a few more words.
The Cromptons | Mary J. HolmesUse in packing a plank or board, placing it against the front of the tier and bring the ends of the hands up against it.
Tobacco; Its History, Varieties, Culture, Manufacture and Commerce | E. R. Billings.The plank fell to its horizontal position, bringing her head under the fatal ax.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. Abbott
British Dictionary definitions for plank (1 of 2)
/ (plæŋk) /
a stout length of sawn timber
something that supports or sustains
one of the policies in a political party's programme
walk the plank to be forced by pirates to walk to one's death off the end of a plank jutting out over the water from the side of a ship
British slang a stupid person; idiot
to cover or provide (an area) with planks
to beat (meat) to make it tender
mainly US and Canadian to cook or serve (meat or fish) on a special wooden board
Origin of plank
1British Dictionary definitions for plank (2 of 2)
/ (plæŋk) /
(tr) Scot to hide; cache
Origin of plank
2Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with plank
see walk the plank.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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