- Bank
- Bank Bank, n. [F. banque, It. banca, orig. bench, table,
counter, of German origin, and akin to E. bench; cf. G. bank
bench, OHG. banch. See {Bench}, and cf. {Banco}, {Beach}.]
1. An establishment for the custody, loan, exchange, or
issue, of money, and for facilitating the transmission of
funds by drafts or bills of exchange; an institution
incorporated for performing one or more of such functions,
or the stockholders (or their representatives, the
directors), acting in their corporate capacity.
[1913 Webster]
2. The building or office used for banking purposes. [1913 Webster]
3. A fund to be used in transacting business, especially a joint stock or capital. [1913 Webster]
Let it be no bank or common stock, but every man be master of his own money. --Bacon. [1913 Webster]
4. (Gaming) The sum of money or the checks which the dealer or banker has as a fund, from which to draw his stakes and pay his losses. [1913 Webster]
5. In certain games, as dominos, a fund of pieces from which the players are allowed to draw; in Monopoly, the fund of money used to pay bonuses due to the players, or to which they pay fines. [1913 Webster +PJC]
6. a place where something is stored and held available for future use; specifically, an organization that stores biological products for medical needs; as, a blood bank, an organ bank, a sperm bank. [PJC]
{Bank credit}, a credit by which a person who has given the required security to a bank has liberty to draw to a certain extent agreed upon.
{Bank of deposit}, a bank which receives money for safe keeping.
{Bank of issue}, a bank which issues its own notes payable to bearer. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.
