flank

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip
broadly : the side of a quadruped
She gently patted the horse's flank.
b
: a cut of meat from this part of an animal see beef illustration
2
a
: side
the eastern flank of a volcano
b
: the right or left of a formation
attacked the enemy on both flanks
3
: the area along either side of a heraldic shield

flank

2 of 2

verb

flanked; flanking; flanks

transitive verb

1
a
: to be situated at the side of
especially : to be situated on both sides of
a road flanked with linden trees
b
: to place something on each side of
2
: to protect a flank of
3
: to attack or threaten the flank of (as a body of troops)

Examples of flank in a Sentence

Noun She gently patted the horse's flank. They attacked the enemy on both flanks. the eastern flank of a volcano Verb the guards flank the center on a football team's offensive line
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The two Gabriels - Martinelli and Jesus - in particular were causing problems down the flanks. Matias Grez, CNN, 22 Oct. 2024 Shifts on the wing, as a wing-back or an orthodox full-back on either flank have seen the 24-year-old make nine starts and one sub appearance in Juve’s 10 games thus far. Adam Digby, Forbes, 21 Oct. 2024
Verb
The Associated Press reported general chaos surrounding the event, where Chalamet was flanked by body guards and some fans seemed to mistake look-alikes for the real actor. Zoe G. Phillips, The Hollywood Reporter, 27 Oct. 2024 By Audrey Lee In the primary bedroom, a white linen bed is flanked by playful metal Zara Home nightstands with chrome and glass lamps on top. Morgan Goldberg, Architectural Digest, 24 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for flank 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flank.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old French flanc, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German hlanca loin, flank — more at lank

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of flank was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near flank

Cite this Entry

“Flank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flank. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

flank

1 of 2 noun
1
a
: the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip
b
: a cut of meat from this part of an animal
2
b
: the right or left of a military formation

flank

2 of 2 verb
1
: to be located at the side of : border
2
: to protect a flank of
3
: to attack or threaten the flank of (as a body of troops)

Medical Definition

flank

noun
: the fleshy part of the side between the ribs and the hip
broadly : the side of a quadruped

More from Merriam-Webster on flank

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