ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flanks

n. plural-only
C1 Advanced US //ˈfɫæŋks// UK //flˈæŋks// flanks

n. the sides of something, such as an animal's body or a large building. You use this word when talking about the left or right part of a person, a mountain, or even a group of soldiers.

n. the side of a person's or animal's body between the ribs and the hip; by extension, the lateral parts of any large structure or formation. Often used in military contexts to describe the right or left sides of a body of troops.


SIMPLE

The horse has white spots on its flanks.

CONTEXTUAL

The hikers climbed the steep southern flanks of the mountain before reaching the rocky summit.

COMPLEX

The general ordered the cavalry to protect the army's vulnerable flanks, fearing that the enemy might attempt a pincer movement during the night.

Synonyms
Usage

Commonly used in the plural to refer to both sides of an object or organism simultaneously.

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