hank

/hæɳk/

Thân thiện

A sailor coils a hank of rope on the deck.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A coil or loop of rope, wool, yarn, or similar material: A "hank" is a specific length or quantity of a flexible material like string, thread, or rope that is coiled or wound into a loop for storage or handling.
   • A unit of length for yarn: In textiles, a "hank" is a standardized unit of measurement for yarn. Its exact length varies depending on the type of fiber (e.g., cotton, linen, wool).

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She bought a hank of wool to knit a scarf.
  • The sailor neatly coiled the rope into a hank.
  • This linen yarn is sold by the hank.

Advanced Usage

• "To be in a hank": To be in a tangle or a difficult situation (less common, somewhat archaic).
  • His fishing line was all in a hank.
• "To hank" (verb, rare): To form into a hank or coil.
  • He hanked the cables neatly after the concert.

Variants and Related Words

• Hanky (noun): Informal, clipped form of "handkerchief." This is a separate word and not a direct variant of "hank" in its core meaning.
• Hanked (adjective): Formed into a hank.
  • The hanked rope was ready for storage.

Synonyms

• Coil: A length of something wound in a joined sequence of rings.
• Loop: A shape produced by a curve that bends around and crosses itself.
• Skein: A length of thread or yarn, loosely coiled and knotted (often used interchangeably with "hank" for yarn).

Phrasal Verbs

Related Idioms

• "Not worth a hank": (Archaic/Regional) Not worth anything.
  • His promise wasn't worth a hank.
• "Hank for": (Verb, chiefly Scottish & Northern English) To long for or yearn for something. This is considered a different verb etymologically.
  • He hankered for the hills of home. (The more common verb form is "hanker.")

Học thuật

Noun

1. a coil of rope or wool or yarn