wank

Origin unknown. First known use as a verb is 1905, as a noun 1948. Perhaps compare regional slang term wang, whang (“to whack or beat”). Compare Dutch wanken (“to move back and forth; move with the hands”).

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /wæŋk/

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

• Audio (General Australian):

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• Rhymes: -æŋk

wank (third-person singular simple present wanks, present participle wanking, simple past and past participle wanked) (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)

1. (intransitive, slang, ambitransitive) To masturbate.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:masturbate

   I was so embarrassed when my mother caught me wanking.

   She wanked me in the morning.

2. (intransitive, vulgar, chiefly fandom slang and Internet slang) To argue in an inappropriate manner or about pretentious or insubstantial matters; to engage in wank.

• wanker
• wankery
• wankfest (noun)
• wanky
• wank off

wank (countable and uncountable, plural wanks) (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth)

1. (countable, slang, vulgar) An act of masturbation.

   Synonyms: jerk off, toss, tug, fingering; see also Thesaurus:masturbation

   He’s having a wank!

2. (countable, slang, vulgar, derogatory) An undesirable person.

   You utter wank! How could you behave like that?

3. (uncountable, slang, vulgar) Nonsense, rubbish.

   This opera is wank.

   Did you see that thing on Channel 4? Yeah, it was wank.

   • 2000, Dylan Moran, “Cooking the Books”, in Black Books, season 1, episode 1 (television production), spoken by Fran (Tamsin Greig):

     I do sell a lot of wank, don't I?

4. (uncountable, chiefly vulgar, fandom slang and Internet slang) Ridiculous, circular or inappropriately elaborate argument about something, especially if obnoxious, pretentious or unsubstantial.

   Synonym: wankery

5. (countable, uncountable, fandom slang) Drama, turmoil, or disagreement within a fannish space.
   • 2010, Karen Hellekson, “History, the Trace, and Fandom Wank”, in Heather Urbanski, editor, Writing and the Digital Generation: Essays on New Media Rhetoric‎, page 64:

     Sometimes those involved in the wank will attempt to steer discussion by disguising themselves with a different user name and posting their own support.

   • 2011, Katherine Larsen, Lynn Zubernis, Fandom at the Crossroads: Celebration, Shame and Fan/producer Relationships‎, page 156:

     As we've seen, the wank that broke out at the very first Supernatural fan convention (Asylum) in Coventry, UK in 2007 was partly inspired by Jensen Ackles' joke about Wincest.

   • 2013, "AngstGoddess", quoted in Anne Jamison, Fic: Why Fanfiction Is Taking Over the World, unknown page:

     The general mission of Twankhard was to highlight various wanks in the fandom and cultivate anon-based discussion of them.

   • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:wank.

• knaw, kawn, Kwan, kwan

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aŋk

wank

1. singular imperative of wanken
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of wanken