plank

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

plank, n. [OE. planke, OF. planque, planche, F. planche, fr. L. planca; cf. Gr. , , anything flat and broad. Cf. Planch.].

•  A broad piece of sawed timber, differing from a board only in being thicker. See Board.  [1913 Webster]
•  Fig.: That which supports or upholds, as a board does a swimmer.  [1913 Webster]

  "His charity is a better plank than the faith of an intolerant and bitter-minded bigot."  [1913 Webster]
•  One of the separate articles in a declaration of the principles of a party or cause; as, a plank in the national platform.  [1913 Webster]

Plank road, or Plank way, a road surface formed of planks. [U.S.] -- To walk the plank, to walk along a plank laid across the bulwark of a ship, until one overbalances it and falls into the sea; -- a method of disposing of captives practiced by pirates.

plank, v. t. 

•  To cover or lay with planks; as, to plank a floor or a ship.  Dryden.  [1913 Webster]
•  To lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash; as, to plank money in a wager.  [1913 Webster]
•  To harden, as hat bodies, by felting.  [1913 Webster]
•  To splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing.  [1913 Webster]

Planked shad, shad split open, fastened to a plank, and roasted before a wood fire.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

plank, n. & v.
--n.
1 a long flat piece of timber used esp. in building, flooring, etc.
2 an item of a political or other programme (cf. PLATFORM).
--v.tr.
1 provide, cover, or floor, with planks.
2 (usu. foll. by down; also absol.) esp. US colloq. a put (a thing, person, etc.) down roughly or violently. b pay (money) on the spot or abruptly (planked down {pound}5).

Idiom

plank bed a bed of boards without a mattress, esp. in prison. walk the plank hist. (of a pirate's captive etc.) be made to walk blindfold along a plank over the side of a ship to one's death in the sea.

Etymology

ME f. ONF planke, OF planche f. LL planca board f. plancus flat-footed

THESAURUS

plank

Mystik tape, Scotch tape, adhesive tape, band, bandage, batten, beam, belt, billet, board, boarding, brick, cast, cellophane tape, chuck, clap, clapboard, cloth tape, coat, coating, collop, cord, cordwood, covering, cut, deal, declaration of policy, disk, driftwood, face, fascia, feuille, fillet, film, firewood, flap, fling, foil, fold, friction tape, girdle, glass, glaze, hardwood, hurl, issue, keynote address, keynote speech, lamella, lamina, laminated glass, laminated wood, lap, lath, lathing, lathwork, leaf, ligula, ligule, list, log, lumber, masking tape, membrane, pane, panel, panelboard, paneling, panelwork, paper, party platform, patina, peel, pellicle, plait, planking, plastic tape, plate, platform, plating, plop, plump, plunk, ply, plyboard, plywood, pole, post, program, puncheon, rasher, revet, ribband, ribbon, safety glass, scum, shake, sheathe, sheathing, sheathing board, sheet, sheeting, shingle, shred, sideboard, siding, skin, slab, slap, slat, slate, slice, slip, softwood, spill, splat, spline, stave, stick, stick of wood, stone, stovewood, strake, strap, strip, strop, table, tablet, taenia, tape, tape measure, tapeline, thatch, three-by-four, throw, thrust, ticker tape, tile, timber, timbering, timberwork, toss, two-by-four, veneer, wafer, wall in, wall up, wallpaper, weatherboard, wood

ROGET THESAURUS

plank

Allocution

N allocution, alloquy, address, speech, apostrophe, interpellation, appeal, invocation, salutation, word in the ear, dialogism, platform, plank, audience.

Plan

N plan, scheme, design, project, proposal, proposition, suggestion, resolution, motion, precaution, deep- laid plan, system, organization, germ, sketch, skeleton, outline, draught, draft, ebauche, brouillon, rough cast, rough draft, draught copy, copy, proof, revise, drawing, scheme, schematic, graphic, chart, flow chart (representation), forecast, program, programme, prospectus, carte du pays, card, bill, protocol, order of the day, list of agenda, bill of fare, base of operations, platform, plank, slate, ticket, role, policy, contrivance, invention, expedient, receipt, nostrum, artifice, device, pipelaying, stratagem, trick, alternative, loophole, shift, last shift, measure, step, stroke, stroke of policy, master stroke, trump card, court card, cheval de bataille, great gun, coup, coup d'etat, clever stroke, bold stroke, good move, good hit, good stroke, bright thought, bright idea, intrigue, cabal, plot, conspiracy, complot, machination, subplot, underplot, counterplot, schemer, schemist, schematist, strategist, machinator, projector, artist, promoter, designer, conspirator, intrigant, planned, strategic, strategical, planning, prepared, in course of preparation, under consideration, on the tapis, on the carpet, on the floor.

Method

N method, way, manner, wise, gait, form, mode, fashion, tone, guise, modus operandi, MO, procedure, path, road, route, course, line of way, line of road, trajectory, orbit, track, beat, tack, steps, stair, staircase, flight of stairs, ladder, stile, perron, bridge, footbridge, viaduct, pontoon, steppingstone, plank, gangway, drawbridge, pass, ford, ferry, tunnel, pipe, door, gateway, channel, passage, avenue, means of access, approach, adit, artery, lane, loan, alley, aisle, lobby, corridor, back-door, back-stairs, secret passage, covert way, vennel, roadway, pathway, stairway, express, thoroughfare, highway, turnpike, freeway, royal road, coach road, broad highway, King's highway, Queen's highway, beaten track, beaten path, horse road, bridle road, bridle track, bridle path, walk, trottoir, footpath, pavement, flags, sidewalk, crossroad, byroad, bypath, byway, cut, short cut carrefour, private road, occupation road, highways and byways, railroad, railway, tram road, tramway, towpath, causeway, canal, street, speedway, adv, how, in what way, in what manner, by what mode, so, in this way, after this fashion, one way or another, anyhow, somehow or other, by way of, via, in transitu, on the high road to, hae tibi erunt artes.

Refuge

N refuge, sanctuary, retreat, fastness, acropolis, keep, last resort, ward, prison, asylum, ark, home, refuge for the destitute, almshouse, hiding place, sanctum sanctorum, roadstead, anchorage, breakwater, mole, port, haven, harbor, harbor of refuge, seaport, pier, jetty, embankment, quay, covert, cover, shelter, screen, lee wall, wing, shield, umbrella, barrier, dashboard, dasher, wall, fort, anchor, kedge, grapnel, grappling iron, sheet anchor, killick, mainstay, support, cheek, ballast, jury mast, vent-peg, safety valve, blow-off valve, safety lamp, lightning rod, lightning conductor, safety belt, airbag, seat belt, antilock brakes, antiskid tires, snow tires, means of escape, lifeboat, lifejacket, life buoy, swimming belt, cork jacket, parachute, plank, steppingstone, emergency landing, safeguard, any port in a storm, bibere venenum in auro, valet anchora virtus.

Layer

N layer, stratum, strata, course, bed, zone, substratum, substrata, floor, flag, stage, story, tier, slab, escarpment, table, tablet, dess, flagstone, board, plank, trencher, platter, plate, lamina, lamella, sheet, foil, wafer, scale, flake, peel, coat, pellicle, membrane, film, leaf, slice, shive, cut, rasher, shaving, integument, eschar, stratification, scaliness, nest of boxes, coats of an onion, monolayer, bilayer, trilayer, lamellar, lamellated, lamelliform, layered, laminated, laminiferous, micaceous, schistose, schistous, scaly, filmy, membranous, pellicular, flaky, squamous, foliated, foliaceous, stratified, stratiform, tabular, discoid, spathic, spathose, trilamellar, graphitic.