Library / English Dictionary

FLANK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

The side between ribs and hipbone

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Hypernyms ("flank" is a kind of...):

body part (any part of an organism such as an organ or extremity)

Holonyms ("flank" is a part of...):

quadruped (an animal especially a mammal having four limbs specialized for walking)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A cut from the fleshy part of an animal's side between the ribs and the leg

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Hypernyms ("flank" is a kind of...):

cut of beef (cut of meat from beef cattle)

Meronyms (parts of "flank"):

flank steak (a cut of beef from the flank of the animal)

Sense 3

Meaning:

The side of military or naval formation

Example:

they attacked the enemy's right flank

Synonyms:

flank; wing

Classified under:

Nouns denoting groupings of people or objects

Hypernyms ("flank" is a kind of...):

formation (an arrangement of people or things acting as a unit)

Domain category:

armed forces; armed services; military; military machine; war machine (the military forces of a nation)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A subfigure consisting of a side of something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Hypernyms ("flank" is a kind of...):

subfigure (a figure that is a part of another figure)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "flank"):

hypotenuse (the side of a right triangle opposite the right angle)

base (the bottom side of a geometric figure from which the altitude can be constructed)

Derivation:

flank (be located at the sides of something or somebody)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be located at the sides of something or somebody

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "flank" is one way to...):

lie (be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

flank (a subfigure consisting of a side of something)

flanker (a soldier who is a member of a detachment assigned to guard the flanks of a military formation)

flanker (a back stationed wide of the scrimmage line; used as a pass receiver)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This likely cryovolcano, a volcano formed bythe gradual accumulation of thick, slowly flowing icy materials, has prominent bright streaks on its flanks.

(Bright Areas on Ceres Suggest Geologic Activity, NASA)

A flank movement produced an unconditional surrender, however, for Laurie knew where to have him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Roxton and Summerlee took their position upon the right flank, while Challenger and I were on the left.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The wolves behind collided with the young wolf and expressed their displeasure by administering sharp nips on his hind-legs and flanks.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

AREs are cis-acting regulatory enhancer elements found in the 5' flanking region of many phase II detoxification enzymes.

(Broccoli sprout extract, NCI Thesaurus)

The circle had tightened till he could feel the breaths of the huskies on his flanks.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Signs and symptoms include flank pain, nausea, vomiting, fever, and dysuria.

(Hydronephrosis, NCI Thesaurus)

The CYP2E1*1 allele contains 6 to 8 repeats of cis-acting elements (each 42-60 bp long) in the 5'-flanking region of the gene.

(CYP2E1*1 Allele, NCI Thesaurus)

Until the latest spectacular eruption opened up fissures on the flank of the volcano, Kīlauea volcano in Hawaii held a vast lava lake in its summit crater.

(Size matters: if you are a bubble of volcanic gas, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

The table was flanked on one side by a gaudy bureau, manufactured for profit and not for service, the thin veneer of which was shed day by day.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)