hank (hæŋk
)
Definitions
noun
- a loop, coil, or skein, as of rope, wool, or yarn
- nautical a ringlike fitting that can be opened to admit a stay for attaching the luff of a sail
- a unit of measurement of cloth, yarn, etc, such as a length of 840 yards (767 m) of cotton or 560 yards (512 m) of worsted yarn
verb
- (tr) nautical to attach (a sail) to a stay by hanks
Word Origin
C13: of Scandinavian origin; compare Old Norse hanka to coil, Swedish hank stringUsage examples
Rolling the baler twine in a neat hank , he glanced towards the shore.
, Three Kinds of Kissing - Scottish Short Stories (1993)Someone took hold of a hank of my then long hair and dragged me to the beach.
, SHOOTING HISTORY: A Personal Journey (2004)