YANK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Yank mean? 

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

1. an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

2. an American (especially to non-Americans)

  Familiarity information: YANK used as a noun is rare.

• YANK (verb)
  The verb YANK has 1 sense:

1. pull, or move with a sudden movement

  Familiarity information: YANK used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• YANK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

An American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Northerner; Yank; Yankee

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

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

Domain region:

America; the States; U.S.; U.S.A.; United States; United States of America; US; USA (North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776)

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

Federal; Federal soldier; Union soldier (a member of the Union Army during the American Civil War)

Holonyms ("Yank" is a member of...):

North (the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line)

Sense 2

Meaning:

An American (especially to non-Americans)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Yank; Yankee; Yankee-Doodle

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

American (a native or inhabitant of the United States)

• YANK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they yank    ... he / she / it yanks   
Past simple: yanked   
Past participle: yanked   
-ing form: yanking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pull, or move with a sudden movement

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

jerk; yank

Context example:

He turned the handle and jerked the door open

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

draw; pull (cause to move by pulling)

Sentence frames:

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

Derivation:

yanker (someone who gives a strong sudden pull)

 Context examples 

They don’t love us, an’ bloody well glad they’d be a-seein’ us cuttin’ our throats. Yer not ’arf bad, ’Ump! You’ve got spunk, as you Yanks s’y, an’ I like yer in a w’y. So come on an’ shyke.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)