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Added 9 October 2026

yank

/ˈjæŋk/ noun

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

An American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War).
An American (especially to non-Americans).

verb

Pull, or move with a sudden movement.
He turned the handle and jerked the door open

Origin

Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.

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

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