tank

[ tangk ]

noun

1. a large receptacle, container, or structure for holding a liquid or gas:

   tanks for storing oil.

2. a natural or artificial pool, pond, or lake.
3. Military. an armored, self-propelled combat vehicle, armed with cannon and machine guns and moving on a caterpillar tread.
4. (in a video game) a category of job classes in a role-playing game, best suited to withstand large amounts of damage from an enemy: DD ( def 2 ), healer ( def 3 ).

   The only decent tank in this game is Warrior, just because the cooldown period for the Paladin and Dark Knight skills is way too long.

5. Slang. a prison cell or enclosure for more than one occupant, as for prisoners awaiting a hearing.
6. tank top.

verb (used with object)

1. to put or store in a tank.
2. (in a video game) to provoke and hold the attention of (an enemy character) so that it does not target other player characters in the party who are less able to withstand large amounts of damage:

   If you’re properly tanking this boss, you’ll never let him face your mages.

verb (used without object)

1. Slang. to do poorly or decline rapidly; fail:

   The movie tanked at the box office.

verb phrase

1. 1. to fill the gas tank of an automobile or other motor vehicle.
   2. Slang. to drink a great quantity of alcoholic beverage, especially to intoxication.

tank

/ tæŋk /

noun

1. a large container or reservoir for the storage of liquids or gases

   tanks for storing oil

2. 1. an armoured combat vehicle moving on tracks and armed with guns, etc, originally developed in World War I
   2. ( as modifier )

      a tank commander

      a tank brigade

3. dialect.
   a reservoir, lake, or pond
4. photog
   1. a light-tight container inside which a film can be processed in daylight, the solutions and rinsing waters being poured in and out without light entering
   2. any large dish or container used for processing a number of strips or sheets of film
5. slang.
   1. a jail
   2. a jail cell
6. Also calledtankful the quantity contained in a tank
7. a dam formed by excavation

verb

1. tr to put or keep in a tank
2. intr to move like a tank, esp heavily and rapidly
3. slang.
   to defeat heavily
4. informal.
   intr to fail, esp commercially

Derived Forms

• ˈtankˌlike, adjective
• ˈtankless, adjective

Other Words From

• tank·less adjective
• tank·like adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tank¹

First recorded in 1610–20; perhaps jointly from Gujarati tānkh “reservoir, lake,” and Portuguese tanque, shortening of estanque “pond,” literally, “something dammed up,” derivative of estancar, from Vulgar Latin stanticāre (unattested) “to dam up, weaken”; adopted as a cover name for the military vehicle during the early stages of its manufacture in England (December 1915)

Word History and Origins

Origin of tank¹

C17: from Gujarati tānkh artificial lake, but influenced also by Portuguese tanque, from estanque pond, from estancar to dam up, from Vulgar Latin stanticāre (unattested) to block, stanch

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. go in / into the tank, Boxing Slang. to go through the motions of a match but deliberately lose because of an illicit prearrangement or fix; throw a fight.
2. in the tank, Slang.
   1. failing, doing poorly, or declining:

      His grades were in the tank last quarter.

   2. favoring, colluding, or assisting in a partisan way (often followed by with or for ):

      The talk-show host was in the tank with the Green Party.

More idioms and phrases containing tank

In addition to the idiom beginning with tank , also see think tank .

Example Sentences

While the Heritage Foundation did not write the GOP's platform, the think tank is undoubtedly influential in Republican policymaking.

From Salon

“I gave the police more money than they wanted! I gave them planes and tanks! They didn’t talk about pronouns. They didn’t say ‘Latinx.’

From Salon

Rona wears the ’30s silk tank when a dreamy summer day morphs into first kisses at a nightclub — before benders and breakups.

From Los Angeles Times

The refinery’s massive fuel storage tanks, distillation towers and sprawling pipeline have been a long-standing source of community concern.

From Los Angeles Times

When the ambulance was roughly 50 meters from the family’s car, it was struck by a tank shell.

From Salon

Related Words

• pond
• pool
• reservoir