▪ I. lank, a. (n.)
(læŋk)
Also 6–7 lanck(e, lanke.
[OE. hlanc; not found in other Teut. langs.; a primary sense ‘flexible’ may be inferred from the factitive vb. (OTeut. *hlankjan) which appears in Ger. lenken to bend, turn aside. Other cognates are ME. lonke = OHG. lancha (whence Rom. *flanco flank); see also link n.]
A. adj.
1. Loose from emptiness; not filled out or plump; shrunken, spare; flabby, hollow. a. of the animal body or its parts.
| a 1000 Judith 205 (Gr.) Þæs se hlanca ᵹefeah wulf in walde. 1556 Withals Dict. (1568) 80 b/1 Lanke or thinne in the bodie, as they that be leane, strigosus, macilentus. 1576 Turberv. Venerie 362 And that oftentimes is the foulest and worst favourd by cause he is overwearied and lankest. 1583 Stanyhurst æneis iii. (Arb.) 89 With lanck wan visadge. 1603 Dekker Grissil (Shaks. Soc.) 10 In the lean arms of lank necessity. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. xii. xxxii, Long sootie hair Fill'd up his lank cheeks. 1648 Hunting of Fox 21 They must looke to goe out as lank and lean as they came in. 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. V, cci, A Tiger, (whom lanke Ravin fires To sett vpon the Herds). 1668 Culpepper & Cole Barthol. Anat. i. xiv. 37 Because any Artery being tied, is full, and swells towards the Heart, but is empty, and lank towards the Veins. 1709 Steele Tatler No. 28 ¶6 The Men of the Service look like Spectres, with long Sides, and lank Cheeks. 1713 ― Englishm. No. 40. 261 A lank Monsieur with a huge Fruz Wigg,..is France in little. 1726 Gay Fables i. xxiii. 20 Cats, who lank with hunger mew'd. 1791 Boswell Johnson 15 Mar. an. 1779, The bard was a lank bony figure, with short black hair. 1820 W. Irving Sketch Bk. II. 354 He was a huge feeder, and though lank, had the dilating powers of an Anaconda. 1848 A. Jameson Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850) 45 This lank, formal angel is from the Greco-Italian school of the eleventh century. |
b. of vegetable growth. Of grass: Long and flaccid.
† Of a harvest: Meagre, scanty.
| 1634–5 Brereton Trav. (Chetham Soc.) 36 Here is barren dry sandy land as in Sherwood Forest, like Bowden Downs, save longer lank grass. 1645 Quarles Sol. Recant. xi. 75 Cast not lank grain upon too lean a ground. 1658 Whole Duty Man xvii. §11 If by the sparingness of our alms, we make ourselves a lank harvest hereafter. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. ii. 342 Lest the lank Ears in length of Stem be lost. 1884 Mrs. C. Praed Zero ii, These lank, sickly gum-trees make me feel quite sentimental. |
c. of inanimate things,
esp. of a bag, bladder or purse. ?
Obs.| c 1000 Ags. Ps. (Gr.) cxviii. 83 Ic eom nu ᵹeworden werum anlicast, swa þu on hrime setest hlance cylle. 1571 Campion Hist. Irel. ii. x. (1633) 138 If your bagges bee full where theirs were lancke. 1593 Shakes. 2 Hen. VI, i. iii. 132 The Commons hast thou rackt, the Clergies Bags Are lanke and leane with thy Extortions. 1602 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass. iv. iii 1934 Drinking a long lank watching candles smoake. 1660 Boyle New Exp. Phys. Mech. xiii. 84 A great Bladder well tyed at the Neck, but very lank. 1719 D'Urfey Pills I. 272 My Purse..is but lank. 1830 Galt Lawrie T. ii. x. (1849) 73 A day at this time was precious to my light and lank purse. |
† d. of immaterial things. Also
fig. Obs.| 1607 T. Walkington Opt. Glass 27 His conceit is as lancke as a shotten Herrin. 1615 T. Adams White Devil 26 That subtle winnower..w{supd} keep the soule..lanke with ignorance. 1622 in Reliq. Wott. (1685) 248 The Empire grew lank and the Popedom tumorous. 1638 Bp. Reynolds Serm. July 12th 43 Men of greene heads, of crude and lanke abilities. a 1650 Scot. Field 269 in Furnivall Percy Folio I. 226 Now lanke is their losse: our lord itt amend! 1663 J. Spencer Prodigies (1665) 111 Tempted to blow out with their quills a lean and lank occurrence. 1664 H. More Myst. Iniq. 360 It is but a lank business to take notice of one single Statue for Idolatry. 1729 Young Imperium Pelagi Pref., Lank writing is what I think ought most to be declined. 1780 Cowper Table T. 532 From him who rears a poem lank and long. |
2. Of hair: Without curl or wave, straight and flat.
| 1690 Shadwell Am. Bigot iii. i, Thick lips and lank flaxen hair. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict. s.v. Hair, To make that which curls too much, lanker, anoint it thoroughly..with Oil of Lillies. 1776 F. Burney Early Diary 5 Apr., Two of her curls came quite unpinned, and fell lank on one of her shoulders. 1835 Willis Pencillings I. xxiv. 168 High cheek bones, lank hair, and heavy shoulders. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. i. I. 82 The extreme Puritan was at once known..by..his lank hair. |
† 3. Drooping, languid.
Obs. rare—1.
| 1634 Milton Comus 835 Nereus,..piteous of her woes, rear'd her lank head. |
4. Comb., chiefly parasynthetic, as
lank-bellied,
lank-cheeked,
lank-eared,
lank-haired,
lank-jawed,
lank-legged,
lank-sided,
lank-winged adjs.; also
lank-blown,
lank-lean adjs.| 1691 Lond. Gaz. No. 2559/4 Stoln.., a black Gelding..*lank Belly'd, and a switch Tail. |
| 1785 Franklin Lett. Wks. 1840 VI. 507 A *lank blown bladder laid before a fire will soon swell, grow tight, and burst. |
| 1838 J. Grant Sk. Lond. 184 A little, *lank-cheeked, sharp-eyed man. |
| 1820 Keats Hyperion i. 230 O *lank-ear'd Phantoms of black⁓weeded pools! |
| 1687 Lond. Gaz. No. 2207/4 T.L. and C.L., middle-sized men..*lank-hair'd. 1849 Macaulay Hist. Eng. iii. I. 370 Puritan coffee houses..where lankhaired men discussed election and reprobation through their noses. |
| 1778 F. Burney Evelina (1787) III. xxi. 233 Is he as *lank-jawed as ever? 1843 Lytton Last Bar. ii. i, Our red-faced yeomen, alas, are fast sinking into lank-jawed mechanics. |
| 1599 Shakes. Hen. V, iv. Prol. 26 Their gesture sad Inuesting *lanke-leane Cheekes. |
| 1906 E. Dyson Fact'ry 'Ands xiii. 172 Levi Goss..a *lank-legged, ungainly object. 1921 W. de la Mare Veil 56 Like lank-legged grasshoppers in June-tide meadows. 1937 ― This Year, Next Year, And out of window gaze At lank-legged Peggy. |
| 1743 R. Blair Grave 337 The *lank-sided Miser..meanly stole..From Back and Belly too, their proper Cheer. |
| 1649 G. Daniel Trinarch., Hen. V, lxviii, Where *lanke-wing'd Puttocks hope to catch their Prey. |
B. n. † 1. Leanness, scarcity, thinness.
Obs. Only in proverbial phrase. (See
quots.)
| 1655 Fuller Hist. Camb. iii. §16. 47 margin, A Bank and a Lank of Charitie. a 1661 ― Worthies, Shropsh. iii. (1662) 10 This Ioseph collected from the present plenty, that a future famine would follow, as in this kind, a Lank constantly attendeth a Bank. 1727 Boyer Eng.-Fr. Dict. s.v., A Lank makes a Bank. Ce Proverbe s'applique aux Femmes qui déchéent dès le moment qu'elles sont enceintes jusqu'à ce que leur ventre commence à lever. |
2. A lanky or lean person.
| 1881 Mrs. E. Lynn Linton My Love III. 212 You are not such a peaky lank as you were. |
Hence
† ˈlankish a., somewhat lank;
ˈlankly adv., in a lank manner;
ˈlankness, the condition of being lank.
| 1611 Cotgr., Maigrement, Meagerly,.. lankly, slenderly. Ibid., Maigreté, Meagarnesse, leannesse, thinnesse, lankenesse. 1627–77 Feltham Resolves ii. xxiv. 209 She, like the humble one, falls flat, and lankly lies upon the earth. a 1643 W. Cartwright Ordinary iii. v, Hungry Notes are fit for Knels: May lankenes be No Quest to me. a 1648 Digby Closet Open. (1677) 160 They [the guts] are to be cleansed in the ordinary manner and filled very lankly. 1689 Lond. Gaz. No. 2483/4 A Tall fresh coloured Fellow, with lankish white Hair. 1774 Goldsm. Nat. Hist. (1776) I. 317 Being thus compelled to open its jaws, it [a viper] once more resumed its former lankness. 1824 Examiner 23/2 There was a haggardness and lankness about his cheeks. 1840 Dickens Barn. Rudge xxxv, A certain lankness of cheek..added nearly ten years to his age. 1924 C. Mackenzie Old Men of Sea xi. 182 Mrs. Ringshaw used to stand beside him, her grey hair wet with spray and lankly waving. |
▪ II. † lank, v. Obs. [f. lank a.] 1. trans. To make lank.
| 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 39 b, As soone as thou arte vp lanke thy bely [L. levato alvum] and spett out rotten fleme. 1562 Leigh Armorie (1597) 44 b, The Lion..(if he be in daunger to bee chased)..vomiteth at his will, and lanketh himselfe. 1604 Meeting of Gallants 7, I rack the vaines and Sinewes, lancke the lungs. 1610 G. Fletcher Christ's Vict. i. xiii, Greefes companie..lankes the cheekes. |
2. intr. To become lank or shrunken.
| 1606 Shakes. Ant. & Cl. i. iv. 71 And all this..Was borne so like a Soldiour, that thy cheeke So much as lank'd not. |