banks
|banks|
/bæŋk/
(bank)
financial institution
Etymology
'bank' (financial sense) originates from Italian, specifically the word 'banca', where 'banca' meant 'bench' (the bench where moneylenders worked). 'Bank' (edge/ridge sense) originates from Old Norse, specifically the word 'banki', where 'banki' meant 'ridge' or 'mound'.
'bank' (financial) came into Middle English via Old Italian 'banca' (moneylenders' bench) and entered wider European languages in the late medieval period; separately, the riverside sense came into English from Old Norse 'banki' (via Old English/Scandinavian contacts), and both senses coexist in modern English as 'bank'.
Initially, 'banca' referred to a 'bench' used by moneychangers and 'banki' referred to a 'ridge' or 'mound'; over time the meanings specialized into the modern senses: a 'bank' as a financial institution (from the bench) and a 'bank' as the edge of a river or a heap (from the ridge).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'bank': a financial institution licensed to receive deposits, make loans, and provide other financial services.
Many banks tightened their lending standards after the crisis.
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Noun 2
the sloping land at the edge of a river, lake, or stream (plural form 'banks').
Children were playing on the river banks.
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Noun 3
a heap or mound (especially of snow or earth), often formed by accumulation.
The car was stuck between two snow banks.
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Noun 4
a set or row of similar things (e.g., a bank of switches or servers).
A bank of servers handled the website traffic.
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Verb 1
third-person singular of 'bank': to deposit money in a bank or to keep money in an account.
She banks most of her paycheck each month.
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Verb 2
third-person singular of 'bank' (phrasal use 'bank on'): to rely on or depend on someone or something.
He banks on his colleagues to finish the project on time.
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Verb 3
third-person singular of 'bank': (of an aircraft or vehicle) to tilt or cause to tilt while turning.
The plane banks sharply before descending.
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Last updated: 2026/01/11 04:15