noun

banks

banks, shores

There are two banks on this street.

There are two banks on this street.

We sat on the banks of the river.

We sat on the banks of the river.

The hospital has blood banks.

The hospital has blood banks.

((banks)) financial institutions There are two banks on this street.

((the banks of sth.)) the sides of a river We sat on the banks of the river.

Synonyms: financial institution, shore, riverside

The financial 'bank' comes from a Germanic word for 'bench' or 'table', used by money-changers. The river 'bank' comes from a different Germanic root meaning 'slope'.

Picture a money-changer's *bench* by the river*bank*. This connects the two main meanings.

This page is designed for learning support. Please use it as a learning reference, not as a formal reference.