tank

1 of 2

noun

1
: a usually large receptacle for holding, transporting, or storing liquids (such as water or fuel)
2
: an enclosed heavily armed and armored combat vehicle that moves on tracks
3
4
dialect : pond, pool
especially : one built as a water supply
5
: a prison cell or enclosure used especially for receiving prisoners
tankful noun
tanklike adjective

tank

2 of 2

verb

tanked; tanking; tanks

transitive verb

1
: to make no effort to win : lose intentionally
tanked the match
2
: to place, store, or treat in a tank

intransitive verb

1
: to lose intentionally : give up in competition
2
: to suffer rapid decline, failure, or collapse
bought a stock that quickly tanked
Phrases
in the tank or into the tank
: in or into a decline or slump
the sullen student's grades went into the tank

Examples of tank in a Sentence

Verb Some people say she deliberately tanked the match. Some people have accused her of tanking.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Rather, the past week’s events have revealed major gaps in Russia’s defenses: Ukrainian tanks invaded the region of Kursk, drones hit two major oil refineries, and a plane crashed. Anna Nemtsova, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2024 Bloodshed surrounding an aid convoy on Feb. 29 killed 118 Palestinians in northern Gaza, when the Israeli military said its forces fired at people in the crowd who were advancing toward them and that tanks fired warning shots to disperse them. Democrat-Gazette Staff From Wire Reports, arkansasonline.com, 16 Mar. 2024 As for the battered décor, the Raoul brothers ejected the Chianti bottles on the tables, but kept the rest: the bar, the booths, the tin ceilings and walls, and the fish tank at the back. Penelope Green, New York Times, 15 Mar. 2024 And yes: Seeing a recognizable USA in tatters and ruins, not to mention a tank menacingly loitering on Park Avenue, will indeed chill you to the bone. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 15 Mar. 2024 Filming the upcoming three-episode disaster — with dire scenes paying homage to The Poseidon Adventure — required Bassett to trade dry land for a major water tank. Andrea Mandell, Peoplemag, 14 Mar. 2024 The goal was to move some of the propellant on board the Starship vehicle from one tank to another, according to a December email from NASA explaining the test. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 And because SpaceX intends to eventually refuel its Starship spacecraft while in orbit, the company also attempted to transfer propellant on this flight from one tank to another. Christian Davenport, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 For the upcoming demo, some 10 metric tons of liquid oxygen will shift from one tank to another—a feat never before accomplished on this scale. George Dvorsky / Gizmodo, Quartz, 12 Mar. 2024
Verb
The new company’s stocks quickly tanked, and the new entity announced a quarterly loss of $54 billion in April 2002. Andrew Jeong, Washington Post, 14 Mar. 2024 In Milwaukee, temps tanked from 74 degrees on the afternoon of Feb. 27 to just 16 degrees the following morning. Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 Frustrated users tanked One’s rating on Google Play from 4.6 to 2.8 stars. Craig Silverman, ProPublica, 11 Mar. 2024 But if that decision had gone the other way, Bitcoin’s value would have almost certainly tanked instead. Thomas Germain / Gizmodo, Quartz, 6 Mar. 2024 In January, a group of hardliners staged a rebellion on the House floor, tanking a procedural vote to show opposition to the deal Johnson reached with Schumer. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 26 Feb. 2024 The prime minister’s party has plummeted in the polls, and his approval rating has tanked as well, although the government maintains a parliamentary majority. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 7 Feb. 2024 The two companies couldn’t save their deal from the anti-monopolistic clutches of the U.S. Justice Department, and now Spirit’s stock is tanking. Melvin Backman, Quartz, 4 Mar. 2024 Since the start of the Gaza war, Suez Canal revenue has tanked, as cargo ships avoid it because of Houthi missile attacks in the Red Sea. Daniel Estrin, NPR, 2 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tank.' 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

Portuguese tanque, alteration of estanque, from estancar to stanch, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *stanticare — more at stanch

First Known Use

Noun

1609, in the meaning defined at sense 4

Verb

1863, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of tank was in 1609

Dictionary Entries Near tank

Cite this Entry

“Tank.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tank. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tank

1 of 2 noun
1
: a usually large container for holding, transporting, or storing liquids
2
: an enclosed heavily armed and armored combat vehicle that moves on beltlike tracks

tank

2 of 2 verb
: to place, store, or treat in a tank

More from Merriam-Webster on tank

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