English

Noun

Yank ‎(plural Yanks)

1. (US) A Yankee, a Northerner: someone from the Northern United States, especially from New England.
   • 1865, unnamed Confederate officer, according to Lieutenant Joseph E. Moody, U.S.V., “Life in Confederate Prisons”, in Civil War Papers, Volume II, Massachusetts Commandery (1900), page 368:

     Halt! come down there, you Yanks, come down!

   • 1944, Howard Fast, Freedom Road, M.E. Sharpe (1995), ISBN 978-1-56324-440-7, page 33:

     “I do wish I might of found you in my sights when you was with them damn Yanks,” Abner added.

   • 2004, O. K. Williams, The Way the Cards Fall, Trafford Publishing, ISBN 9781412022897, page 16:

     Corporal Bob explained, “The Yanks has tha best weapons. But us Rebs know how to shoot tha damn things. […] ”

2. (sometimes pejorative) A Yankee, an American: someone from the United States.
   • 1951, “The Yanks Are Coming: U.S. shows world we are playing for keeps as 4th Division leaves to join Eisenhower's NATO army”, in Life, 11 June 1951, page 38:

     “This time,” he [ General Alphonse-Pierre Juin] told the Yanks, “you have not crossed to win new victories but to preserve peace. […] ”

Synonyms

• (inhabitant of the USA): American, Usonian, Usanian

Translations

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: yăngk, IPA^(key): /jæŋk/
• (in the US, also:) enPR: yāngk, IPA^(key): /jeɪŋk/
• Rhymes: -æŋk

Noun

yank ‎(plural yanks)

1. A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).
2. (slang) A masturbation session.
   • 2012, Bonnie Dee, ‎Summer Devon, Serious Play (page 81)

     He rested his hand on his bare chest, an innocent enough spot, but soon it drifted of its own accord down his stomach to slide beneath the waistband of his briefs. Fine. A quick yank would relieve the sexual tension that simmered in him.

Synonyms

• (sudden, vigorous pull): jerk, tug

Translations

Verb

yank ‎(third-person singular simple present yanks, present participle yanking, simple past and past participle yanked)

1. (transitive) To pull something with a quick, strong action.
   • 2015, Elizabeth Royte, Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need to Save Them., National Geographic (December 2015)

     Now a white-backed rams its head down the wildebeest’s throat and yanks out an eight-inch length of trachea, ribbed like a vacuum hose.

2. (transitive) To remove from distribution.

   They yanked the product as soon as they learned it was unsafe.

Synonyms

• (pull with a quick strong action): jerk, tug
• (remove from circulation): pull, recall

Derived terms

• yanker

Derived terms

• yank someone's chain

Translations

References

• “yank” in Douglas Harper, Online Etymology Dictionary (2001).

Etymology 2

Clipping of yankee

Noun

yank ‎(plural yanks)

1. (often derogatory) A yankee.