Agency Dictionary
Flank
nounPronunciation: /flæŋk/
In Portuguese: Flanco
History & CivilizationsWhat does “Flank” mean?
The side of a person's or animal's body between the ribs and the hip, or the lateral side of any military or structural formation.
Etymology
From late Old English flanc, borrowed from Old French flanc, "side of the body". The French word is of Germanic origin, probably from a Frankish form related to Old High German hlanca, "loin", and to English lank, with a root idea of bending. From the side of an animal or a person the word spread to the side of an army, a building or a hill.
Usage note
As a verb, to flank means to stand at the side of something: a road flanked by trees. In military use the flanks are the right and left sides of a formation.
Synonyms
- side
- wing
- edge
Word family
- flanker
- flanking
- outflank
Rhymes with
- bank
- tank
- thank
- blank
- rank
- plank
- drank
- frank
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Source editions
Where this entry comes from in the Agency editorial.
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