PLANK

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does plank mean? 

• PLANK (noun)
  The noun PLANK has 2 senses:

1. a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes

2. an endorsed policy in the platform of a political party

  Familiarity information: PLANK used as a noun is rare.

• PLANK (verb)
  The verb PLANK has 3 senses:

1. cover with planks

2. set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise

3. cook and serve on a plank

  Familiarity information: PLANK used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PLANK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Synonyms:

board; plank

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

lumber; timber (the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material)

Meronyms (parts of "plank"):

knot (a hard cross-grained round piece of wood in a board where a branch emerged)

knothole (a hole in a board where a knot came out)

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

matchboard (a board that has a groove cut into one edge and a tongue cut into the other so they fit tightly together (as in a floor))

skid (one of a pair of planks used to make a track for rolling or sliding objects)

strake; wale (thick plank forming a ridge along the side of a wooden ship)

chipboard; hardboard (a cheap hard material made from wood chips that are pressed together and bound with synthetic resin)

deal (a plank of softwood (fir or pine board))

Derivation:

plank (cook and serve on a plank)

plank (cover with planks)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An endorsed policy in the platform of a political party

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

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

policy (a line of argument rationalizing the course of action of a government)

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

platform; political platform; political program; program (a document stating the aims and principles of a political party)

• PLANK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they plank    ... he / she / it planks   
Past simple: planked   
Past participle: planked   
-ing form: planking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Cover with planks

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

plank; plank over

Context example:

The streets were planked

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

cover (provide with a covering or cause to be covered)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plank (a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes)

planking (the work of covering an area with planks)

planking ((nautical) a covering or flooring constructed of planks (as on a ship))

Sense 2

Meaning:

Set (something or oneself) down with or as if with a noise

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

flump; plank; plonk; plop; plump; plump down; plunk; plunk down

Context example:

He planked himself into the sofa

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

place down; put down; set down (cause to sit or seat or be in a settled position or place)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody PP
Somebody ----s something PP

Sense 3

Meaning:

Cook and serve on a plank

Classified under:

Verbs of eating and drinking

Context example:

Planked shad

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

dish; dish out; dish up; serve; serve up (provide (usually but not necessarily food))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

plank (a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes)

 Context examples 

I already knew that the papers were probably in the room, but I had no desire to rip up all the planking and skirting in search of them.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Its planking was three-quarters of an inch thick.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Some took him to the office and then to the ship, where he will not go aboard but halt at shore end of gang-plank, and ask that the captain come to him.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

We cannot cross, said Hansel, I see no foot-plank, and no bridge.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

She had a posy of flowers in her hand and another one was lying upon the planks of wood upon which she was standing.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

At the same time, I observed, around both of them, splashes of dark blood upon the planks and began to feel sure that they had killed each other in their drunken wrath.

(Treasure Island, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

The gang-plank was hauled in, and the Aurora swung out from the bank.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

‘Look in here!’ said Mr. Rucastle, showing me a slit between two planks. ‘Is he not a beauty?’

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Three shining mackintoshed figures are walking down the quay, making for the gang-plank of the great liner from which the blue-peter is flying.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Again I rose, and exerting all the firmness of which I was master, removed the planks which I had placed before my hovel to conceal my retreat.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)