hank

From Middle English hank, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Norse hǫnk, hank; akin to Old English hangian, "to hang". First Known Use: 14th century.

• IPA^(key): /hæŋk/
• Rhymes: -æŋk

hank (plural hanks)

1. A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope.
2. (nautical) A ring or shackle that secures a staysail to its stay and allows the sail to glide smoothly up and down.
3. (Ulster) Doubt, difficulty.
4. (Ulster) Mess, tangle.
5. A rope or withe for fastening a gate.
6. (obsolete) Hold; influence.
   • Bishop Sanderson

     When the devil hath got such a hank over him.

7. (wrestling) A throw in which a wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, twines his left leg about his opponent's right leg from the inside, and throws him backward.

hank (third-person singular simple present hanks, present participle hanking, simple past and past participle hanked)

1. (transitive) To form into hanks.
2. (transitive, Britain, dialectal) To fasten with a rope, as a gate.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Wright to this entry?)

• Kahn, Khan, ankh, khan

From Old Norse hǫnk

hank f or m (definite singular hanka or hanken, indefinite plural hanker, definite plural hankene)

1. a handle (e.g. on a cup)

• “hank” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

• hanke

From Old Norse hanki

• IPA^(key): /hɑŋk/

hank m (definite singular hanken, indefinite plural hankar, definite plural hankane)
hank f (definite singular hanka, indefinite plural hanker, definite plural hankene)

1. a handle (e.g. on a cup)

• “hank” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.