Also 6–7 lanck(e, lanke. [OE. hlanc; not found in other Teut. langs.; a primary sense ‘flexible’ may be inferred from the factitive vb. (OTeut. *hlankjan) which appears in Ger. lenken to bend, turn aside. Other cognates are ME. LONKE = OHG. lancha (whence Rom. *flanco FLANK); see also LINK sb.]
A. adj.
1. Loose from emptiness; not filled out or plump; shrunken, spare; flabby, hollow.
a. of the animal body or its parts.
a. 1000. Judith, 205 (Gr.). Þæs se hlanca ʓefeah wulf in walde.
1556. Withals, Dict. (1568), 80 b/1. Lanke or thinne in the bodie, as they that be leane, strigosus, macilentus.
1576. Turberv., Venerie, 362. And that oftentimes is the foulest and worst favourd by cause he is overwearied and lankest.
1583. Stanyhurst, Æneis, III. (Arb.), 89. With lanck wan visadge.
1603. Dekker, Grissil (Shaks. Soc.), 10. In the lean arms of lank necessity.
1633. P. Fletcher, Purple Isl., XII. xxxii. Long sootie hair Fill’d up his lank cheeks.
1648. Hunting of Fox, 21. They must looke to goe out as lank and lean as they came in.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., cci. A Tiger, (whom lanke Ravin fires To sett vpon the Herds).
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. xiv. 37. Because any Artery being tied, is full, and swells towards the Heart, but is empty, and lank towards the Veins.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 28, ¶ 6. The Men of the Service look like Spectres, with long Sides, and lank Cheeks. Ibid. (1713), Englishm., No. 40. 261. A lank Monsieur with a huge Fruz Wigg,… is France in little.
1726. Gay, Fables, I. xxiii. 20. Cats, who lank with hunger mew’d.
1791. Boswell, Johnson, 15 March, an. 1779. The bard was a lank bony figure, with short black hair.
1820. W. Irving, Sketch Bk., II. 354. He was a huge feeder, and though lank, had the dilating powers of an Anaconda.
1848. Mrs. Jameson, Sacr. & Leg. Art (1850), 45. This lank, formal angel is from the Greco-Italian school of the eleventh century.
b. of vegetable growth. Of grass: Long and flaccid. † Of a harvest: Meager, scanty.
1634–5. Brereton, Trav. (Chetham Soc.), 36. Here is barren dry sandy land as in Sherwood Forest, like Bowden Downs, save longer lank grass.
1645. Quarles, Sol. Recant., xi. 75. Cast not lank grain upon too lean a ground.
1658. Whole Duty Man, xvii. § 11. If by the sparingness of our alms, we make ourselves a lank harvest hereafter.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., II. 342. Lest the lank Ears in length of Stem be lost.
1884. Mrs. C. Praed, Zéro, ii. These lank, sickly gum-trees make me feel quite sentimental.
c. of inanimate things, esp. of a bag, bladder or purse. ? Obs.
c. 1000. Ags. Ps. (Gr.), cxviii. 83. Ic eom nu ʓeworden werum anlicast, swa þu on hrime setest hlance cylle.
1571. Campion, Hist. Irel., II. x. (1633), 138. If your bagges bee full where theirs were lancke.
1593. Shaks., 2 Hen. VI., I. iii. 132. The Commons hast thou rackt, the Clergies Bags Are lanke and leane with thy Extortions.
1602. 2nd Pt. Return fr. Parnass., IV. iii. 1934. Drinking a long lank watching candles smoake.
1660. Boyle, New Exp. Phys. Mech., xiii. 84. A great Bladder well tyed at the Neck, but very lank.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, I. 272. My Purse … is but lank.
1830. Galt, Lawrie T., II. x. (1849), 73. A day at this time was precious to my light and lank purse.
d. of immaterial things. Also fig. Obs.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, 27. His conceit is as lancke as a shotten Herrin.
1615. T. Adams, White Devil, 26. That subtle winnower … wd keep the soule … lanke with ignorance.
1622. in Reliq. Wott. (1685), 248. The Empire grew lank and the Popedom tumorous.
1638. Bp. Reynolds, Serm. July 12th, 43. Men of greene heads, of crude and lanke abilities.
a. 1650. Scot. Field, 269, in Furnivall, Percy Folio, I. 226. Now lanke is their losse: our lord itt amend!
1663. J. Spencer, Prodigies (1665), 111. Tempted to blow out with their quills a lean and lank occurrence.
1664. H. More, Myst. Iniq., 360. It is but a lank business to take notice of one single Statue for Idolatry.
1729. Young, Imperium Pelagi, Pref. Lank writing is what I think ought most to be declined.
1780. Cowper, Table-T., 532. From him who rears a poem lank and long.
2. Of hair: Without curl or wave, straight and flat.
1690. Shadwell, Am. Bigot, III. i. Thick lips and lank flaxen hair.
1727. Bradley, Fam. Dict., s.v. Hair, To make that which curls too much, lanker, anoint it thoroughly … with Oil of Lillies.
1776. Mad. D’Arblay, Early Diary, 5 April. Two of her curls came quite unpinned, and fell lank on one of her shoulders.
1835. Willis, Pencillings, I. xxiv. 168. High cheek bones, lank hair, and heavy shoulders.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., i. I. 82. The extreme Puritan was at once known … by … his lank hair.
† 3. Drooping, languid. Obs. rare–1.
1634. Milton, Comus, 835. Nereus,… piteous of her woes, rear’d her lank head.
4. Comb., chiefly parasynthetic, as lank-bellied, -cheeked, -eared, -haired, -jawed, -sided, -winged adjs.; also lank-blown, -lean adjs.
1691. Lond. Gaz., No. 2559/4. Stoln…, a black Gelding … *lank Belly’d, and a switch Tail.
1785. Franklin, Lett., Wks. 1840, VI. 507. A *lank blown bladder laid before a fire will soon swell, grow tight, and burst.
1838. Jas. Grant, Sk. Lond., 184. A little, *lank-cheeked, sharp-eyed man.
1820. Keats, Hyperion, I. 230. O *lank-ear’d Phantoms of black-weeded pools!
1687. Lond. Gaz., No. 2207/4. T. L. and C. L., middle-sized men … *lank-hair’d.
1849. Macaulay, Hist. Eng., iii. I. 370. Puritan coffee houses … where lankhaired men discussed election and reprobation through their noses.
1778. Miss Burney, Evelina (1787), III. xxi. 233. Is he as *lank-jawed as ever?
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., II. i. Our red-faced yeomen, alas, are fast sinking into lank-jawed mechanics.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., IV. Prol. 26. Their gesture sad Inuesting *lanke-leane Cheekes.
1743. R. Blair, Grave, 337. The *lank-sided Miser … meanly stole … From Back and Belly too, their proper Cheer.
1649. G. Daniel, Trinarch., Hen. V., lxviii. Where *lanke-wing’d Puttocks hope to catch their Prey.
B. sb.
† 1. Leanness, scarcity, thinness. Obs.
Only in proverbial phrase. (See quots.)
1655. Fuller, Hist. Camb., iii. § 16. 47, margin. A Bank and a Lank of Charitie. Ibid. (a. 1661), Worthies, Shropsh., III. (1662), 10. This Ioseph collected from the present plenty, that a future famine would follow, as in this kind, a Lank constantly attendeth a Bank.
1727. Boyer, Eng.-Fr. Dict., s.v., A Lank makes a Bank. Ce Proverbe s’applique aux Femmes qui déchéent dès le moment qu’elles sont enceintes jusqu’à ce que leur ventre commence à lever.
2. A lanky or lean person.
1881. Mrs. Lynn Linton, My Love, III. 212. You are not such a peaky lank as you were.
Hence † Lankish a., somewhat lank; † Lankly adv., in a lank manner; Lankness, the condition of being lank.
1611. Cotgr., Maigrement, Meagerly,… lankly, slenderly. Ibid., Maigreté, Meagarnesse, leannesse, thinnesse, lankenesse.
1627–77. Feltham, Resolves, II. xxiv. 209. She, like the humble one, falls flat, and lankly lies upon the earth.
a. 1643. W. Cartwright, Ordinary, III. v. Hungry Notes are fit for Knels: May lankenes be No Quest to me.
a. 1648. Digby, Closet Open. (1677), 160. They [the guts] are to be cleansed in the ordinary manner and filled very lankly.
1689. Lond. Gaz., No. 2483/4. A Tall fresh coloured Fellow, with lankish white Hair.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), I. 317. Being thus compelled to open its jaws, it [a viper] once more resumed its former lankness.
1824. Examiner, 23/2. There was a haggardness and lankness about his cheeks.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xxxv. A certain lankness of cheek … added nearly ten years to his age.
