flank C1 Topic:Space, Position & Direction US /ˈflæŋk/ UK /flæŋk/ See IPA manual Minimal pairs Sounds like franc /l/ vs /ɹ/ Freq #10244 Meanings 1 noun the side of something, especially the side of a body or military formation The cavalry attacked the army's left flank. 2 verb to be positioned on one or both sides of something Two stone columns flank the entrance. 3 noun a cut of meat from the side of an animal between the ribs and hip The chef sliced the flank thinly across the grain. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 noun · the side of something,... sidewing 2 verb · to be positioned on one or... bordersidesurround 3 noun · a cut of meat from the side... flank steak More straddle ↔ Opposites centerfrontrear Word family Forms flanks Derived forms flanksflankeroutflankflankwise Common collocations flank attack Noun + noun Etymology From Middle English flanc, from Old French flanc, probably of Germanic origin and related to words for a bend, hip, or side. Topics Space, Position & Direction External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # flank **Type:** Word **Level:** C1 **Part of speech:** noun, verb **IPA (US):** /ˈflæŋk/ **IPA (UK):** /flæŋk/ **Frequency rank:** 10244 ## Meanings 1. the side of something, especially the side of a body or military formation 2. to be positioned on one or both sides of something 3. a cut of meat from the side of an animal between the ribs and hip ## Examples - The cavalry attacked the army's left flank. - Two stone columns flank the entrance. - The chef sliced the flank thinly across the grain. ## Synonyms - side - wing - border - straddle ## Antonyms - center - front - rear ## Derived Forms - flanks - flanker - outflank - flankwise ## Etymology From Middle English flanc, from Old French flanc, probably of Germanic origin and related to words for a bend, hip, or side. ## Topics - Space, Position & Direction markdown