bank

An organization or building where you keep money, borrow money, and make payments.

• My money is in the bank.
• The bank agreed to lend us money.
• Which bank do you use for your savings?

Common phrases: bank account, bank loan, local bank, visit the bank

The land along the side of a river, lake, or stream.

• We sat on the river bank.
• Trees grew along both banks of the stream.
• She swam across to the opposite bank.

Similar words: riverside, shore

Common phrases: river bank, steep bank, opposite bank

A place or collection where useful things are kept safely until people need them.

• The hospital has a blood bank.
• Scientists stored rare seeds in a seed bank.
• The data bank contains thousands of historical records.

Similar words: store, repository

Common phrases: blood bank, seed bank, data bank

A small container for saving coins or paper money.

• Put your coins in the bank.
• Her piggy bank was shaped like a cat.
• He emptied his bank to buy a toy.

Similar words: money box, piggy bank

Common phrases: piggy bank, coin bank, empty the bank

To put money into an account at a financial institution.

• I need to bank this money.
• He banked the cheque yesterday.
• Have you banked the shop’s takings?

How to use it: bank something (She banks her earnings every Friday.)

Similar words: deposit, pay in

Opposites: withdraw

Common phrases: bank the money, bank a cheque, bank the takings

To use an organization’s money services, or provide those services to a customer.

• I prefer to bank online.
• Our family has banked with them for years.
• The company banks several large business clients.

How to use it: bank with someone (We bank with a small local company.)

Common phrases: bank with someone, bank online, bank with us

If an aircraft does this, it tilts to one side as it turns in the air.

• The plane began to bank.
• The pilot banked left above the lake.
• We watched the aircraft bank sharply toward the runway.

Similar words: tilt

Common phrases: bank left, bank right, bank sharply