yank

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word yank. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word yank, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say yank in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word yank you have here. The definition of the word yank will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofyank, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
See also: Yank and þank

English

Etymology 1

Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.

Pronunciation

  • enPR: yăngk, IPA(key): /jæŋk/
  • Audio (AU)(file)
  • Rhymes: -æŋk

Noun

yank (plural yanks)

  1. A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).
    He unjammed the rope with a short yank.
  2. (slang) A masturbation session.
    • 2012, Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon, Serious Play, page 81:
      He rested his hand on his bare chest, an innocent enough spot, but soon it drifted of its own accord down his stomach to slide beneath the waistband of his briefs. Fine. A quick yank would relieve the sexual tension that simmered in him.
Synonyms
Translations

Verb

yank (third-person singular simple present yanks, present participle yanking, simple past and past participle yanked)

  1. (transitive) To pull (something) with a quick, strong action.
    • 2015 December, Elizabeth Royte, “Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need to Save Them.”, in National Geographic‎, archived from the original on 13 December 2015:
      Now a white-backed rams its head down the wildebeest’s throat and yanks out an eight-inch length of trachea, ribbed like a vacuum hose.
    • 2016 October, Scott Dadich, quoting Barack Obama, “Barack Obama Talks AI, Robo Cars, and the Future of the World”, in Wired‎, →ISSN:
      [Regarding risks of AI] And you just have to have somebody close to the power cord. [Laughs.] Right when you see it about to happen, you gotta yank that electricity out of the wall, man.
  2. (transitive, informal) To remove from distribution.
    They yanked the product as soon as they learned it was unsafe.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
References

Etymology 2

Noun

yank (plural yanks)

  1. (often derogatory) Alternative letter-case form of Yank (“Yankee”).

Scots

Etymology

Unknown; likely imitative. Compare whang (“a blow”).

Noun

yank (plural yanks)

  1. a sudden tug, a jerk, a yank
  2. a blow, a slap
    • 1833, James Hogg, The Brownie of Bodsbeck‎, page 51:
      I took up my neive an’ gae him a yank on the haffat till I gart his bit brass cap rattle against the wa’.
      I raised my fist and gave him a blow on the temple that made his little brass cap rattle against the wall.

Verb

yank (third-person singular simple present yanks, present participle yankin, simple past yankt, past participle yankt)

  1. to jerk, to pull suddenly
  2. to move quickly or in a lively manner
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia