tank
- 01 A2 Elementary
n.a large container for holding liquids or gases, like water or fuel.
n.a large, typically enclosed container designed for the storage of liquids or gases.
Simple“The plumber had to fix a leak in the water tank in the attic.”
In context“The industrial facility maintains several pressurized tanks to store the liquid nitrogen required for the cooling process.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a heavy military vehicle with large guns that moves on metal tracks instead of wheels.
n.an armoured fighting vehicle equipped with a large-calibre gun and moving on continuous caterpillar tracks.
Simple“The army moved its tanks to the border during the training exercise.”
In context“Modern tanks are designed with advanced composite armour to withstand direct hits from anti-tank guided missiles.”
Synonymsarmoured vehicle - 03 C1 Advanced
n.in video games, a character who can take a lot of damage to protect their teammates.
n.a character class in cooperative games designed to absorb damage and draw enemy attention away from more vulnerable allies.
Simple“Our team needs a strong tank to lead the attack on the boss.”
In context“The player chose a warrior build to act as the primary tank, ensuring the mages could cast spells without being interrupted by enemy fire.”
Synonymsdefendermeat shieldAntonymsglass cannon - 04 C2 Proficiency
n.a part of some plants that catches and holds rainwater.
n.a structure formed by overlapping leaves in certain plants, such as bromeliads, used to collect and retain water.
Simple“Frogs often lay their eggs in the water held by the plant's tank.”
In context“Epiphytic bromeliads rely on their central tank to survive long periods without rainfall in the tropical canopy.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to fail completely or lose value very quickly.
v.to decline sharply in value, performance, or quality; often used in economic or commercial contexts.
Simple“The company's stock started to tank after the bad news was released.”
In context“Despite a massive marketing budget, the film tanked at the box office during its opening weekend.”
- 06 C1 Advanced
v.to lose a game on purpose to get an advantage later.
v.to deliberately lose a sporting match or competition, typically to secure a better draft pick or future advantage.
Simple“Fans accused the team of tanking the season to get a better player next year.”
In context“The league investigated whether the coach instructed his players to tank the final game to avoid a difficult opponent in the playoffs.”
“German army tanks and helicopters were providing support.”
“That’s less than it costs to fill the gas tanks of most SUVs.”
From Portuguese tanque (“tank, liquid container”), from an Indo-Aryan language, likely Gujarati ટાંકી (ṭā̃kī, “cistern”) or Marathi टांकी (ṭāṅkī). Compare the Arabic verb اِسْتَنْقَعَ (istanqaʕa, “to become stagnant, to stagnate”). In the sense of armoured vehicle, first attested in 1915, prototypes were described as tanks for carrying water to disguise their nature as well as due to physical resemblance.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.