plank

[ plangk ]

noun

1. a long, flat piece of timber, thicker than a board.
2. lumber in such pieces; planking.
3. something to stand on or to cling to for support.
4. 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.

verb (used with object)

1. to lay, cover, or furnish with planks.
2. to bake or broil and serve (steak, fish, chicken, etc.) on a wooden board.
3. plunk ( def 2 ).

plank

¹

/ plæŋk /

verb

1. tr to hide; cache

plank

²

/ plæŋk /

noun

1. a stout length of sawn timber
2. something that supports or sustains
3. one of the policies in a political party's programme
4. 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
5. slang.
   a stupid person; idiot

verb

1. to cover or provide (an area) with planks
2. to beat (meat) to make it tender
3. to cook or serve (meat or fish) on a special wooden board

Other Words From

• plankless adjective
• planklike adjective
• un·planked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of plank¹

1275–1325; Middle English planke < Old North French < Latin planca board, plank. See planch

Word History and Origins

Origin of plank¹

C19: a variant of plant

Origin of plank²

C13: from Old Norman French planke, from Late Latin planca board, from plancus flat-footed; probably related to Greek plax flat surface

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. walk the plank,
   1. 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.
   2. 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.

More idioms and phrases containing plank

see walk the plank .

Example Sentences

Unfolding on a set of distressed wooden planks and hanging lanterns, “Our Town” gleams like a restored antique in this Broadway revival.

From Los Angeles Times

This plank of his platform has held for years as the president-elect has campaigned across the country.

From Salon

They have generally formed a key plank of the Democratic coalition but Republicans have been eating into that support.

From BBC

I trained two or three times a week — nothing crazy, just good old fashioned bicep curls, weighted squats, plank holds.

From Los Angeles Times

A key plank of the case against him was based on data from the Horizon system and how it was interpreted by the Post Office.

From BBC

Related Words

• lumber
• platform
• slab
• timber