noun / verb
bank
BANGK/bæŋk/
An institution that holds money and provides financial services.
She deposits her paycheck at the neighborhood bank.
Etymology
Banca meant a table: the relevant table was a money-dealer’s counter. The name shifted from the place where money was exchanged to the institution that receives and lends it.
In context
A bank as an in financial intermediary takes in the savings of depositors and loans that money out to businesses.
More examples
- We bank with a small local institution.
- The bank approved their loan application.
- Several banks offer accounts for students.
Forms
bank · banks · banked · banking
Similar words
- credit union
- A member-owned financial cooperative rather than a conventional bank.