bank
gb/bˈæŋk/ us/bˈæŋk/
A1
English
~ 500
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Financial company for money services
A place or company where people keep their money and can borrow money.
Usage pattern:
[someone] opens an account at [a bank]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'bank' with 'ATM', but an ATM is a machine, not the whole bank.
Synonyms
financial institution (More formal and general term covering banks and similar organizations.)
Antonyms
credit union (A nonprofit financial cooperative, unlike a commercial bank.)
Collocations
open a bank account
|bank loan
|bank branch
|bank balance
|bank statement
Themes
business
|finance
|daily life
Examples
- I went to the bank to deposit my paycheck.
- The bank approved her application for a mortgage.
- Most banks now offer online banking services.
- He withdrew cash from the bank before his trip.
Learner examples
- I put my money in the bank.
- She works at a bank.
- We go to the bank every Friday.
- The bank is near the bus stop.
Noun
A2
entity
2
Sloping land beside water
The side of a river or lake where the land meets the water.
Usage pattern:
[someone] sits on [the bank] of [a river/lake]
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse this with 'beach', which usually means sand by the sea or ocean.
Synonyms
shore (Usually used for larger bodies of water like seas and lakes.)
Antonyms
riverbed (The bottom of a river, as opposed to its edge.)
Collocations
river bank
|on the bank of the river
|fishing from the bank
Themes
nature
|geography
Examples
- They picnicked on the grassy bank of the river.
- Flooding damaged several houses along the bank.
- He tied the boat to a tree on the bank.
Learner examples
- We sat on the bank of the river.
- The boat is near the bank.
- The bank is covered with grass.
Verb
B1
action
3
Depend or count on something
To be sure that something will happen and plan based on it.
Usage pattern:
[someone] banks on [something happening]
Common mistake:
Learners may think this refers to money in a financial sense because of 'bank'. In this meaning, it's about trust or expectation.
Synonyms
rely on (More general term for depending on someone or something.)
Antonyms
doubt (To not trust or believe that something will happen.)
Collocations
bank on success
|bank on support
Themes
daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- You can bank on her to arrive on time.
- They’re banking on good weather for the wedding.
- Don’t bank on getting a pay rise this year.
Learner examples
- I bank on my friends to help me.
- He banks on passing the exam.
- They bank on sunny weather.
Noun
technical
B2
entity
4
Row or group of similar items
A line or group of similar things placed together.
Synonyms
row (General term for things arranged in a line.)
Collocations
a bank of switches
|a bank of seats
Themes
technology
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The control room has a bank of monitors.
- A bank of lights lit up the stage.
- There is a bank of lockers near the entrance.
Learner examples
- There is a bank of computers in the room.
- I saw a bank of lights above the stage.
- We sat in a bank of seats at the stadium.
Verb
B2
action
5
Tilt an aircraft during a turn
When an airplane leans to one side while turning.
Synonyms
tilt (General term for leaning to one side.)
Collocations
bank sharply
|bank left
Themes
transportation
|travel
Examples
- The pilot banked sharply to avoid the storm.
- The plane banked left as it approached the runway.
- You could feel the aircraft banking during the turn.
Learner examples
- The plane banked left.
- I felt the plane bank during the turn.
- The pilot banked right to change direction.
Grammar
Dictionary form
bank
IPA
GB/bˈæŋk/
US/bˈæŋk/
Syllables & stress
bank (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (bank)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: bank
- Plural: banks
Verb
- Base: bank
- 3rd Person Singular: banks
- Present Participle: banking
- Past: banked
Word family
Expressions
bank on
1/bˈæŋk ˈɔn/
phrasal verb
Rely or depend on something happening
To be sure that something will happen and make plans based on it.
Examples
- You can bank on their support for the project.
- I’m banking on good weather for our picnic.
break the bank
1/bɹˈeɪk ðə bˈæŋk/
idiom
informal
Be too expensive or unaffordable
To cost more money than you can afford.
Examples
- That car looks nice, but it doesn’t have to break the bank.
- A vacation abroad need not break the bank if you plan carefully.
the other side of the bank
1/ðə ˈʌðɚ sˈaɪd əv ðə bˈæŋk/
fixed phrase
Opposite side of river/lake edge
The land across from you, on the other side of a river or lake.
Examples
- They waved from the other side of the bank.
- We could see animals grazing on the other side of the bank.