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Added 9 October 2026

lank

/ˈlæŋk/ adjective

adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about lank at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

Long and thin and often limp.
grown lank with fasting
Long and lean.

Origin

From Middle English lank, from Old English hlanc, from Proto-West Germanic *hlank, from Proto-Germanic *hlankaz (“lank, thin”), from Proto-Indo-European *kleng- (“to bend, turn, wind, twist”); compare German lenken (“to turn”), Gelenk (“joint”), Old High German hlanca (“hip, side, flank”), and English link (of a chain).

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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