flank
part of speech
noun (a flank, flanks); verb (flank, flanks, flanked, flanking)
meaning for a pupil
1) The side of an animal's or person's body between the ribs and the hip. tree →
2) The side of an army, a team formation or a building. tree →
3) (verb) To be at the side of someone or something: «flanked by guards». tree →
4) (verb) To go round the side of an enemy to attack. tree →
sense in the lessons
In history and battles, generals attack an enemy's flank, its weak side. In sport, players run down the flank (the wing). In stories, «the president, flanked by bodyguards» tells you who stood beside him. In farming, a horse's or cow's flank is its side. Phrases: «flanked by», «on the left flank», «attack the flank».
examples
- The horse had a scratch on its flank. tree →
- The army attacked the enemy's left flank. tree →
- The winger ran down the right flank and crossed the ball. tree →
- The headteacher walked in, flanked by two teachers. tree →
- Tall trees flanked the path. tree →
- The soldiers tried to flank the castle from the hill. tree →
- The Mouse peeped out, crept furtively up his flank, and again biting him, retreated to his hole. tree →
note
Countable noun and regular verb. Often passive: «flanked by». In sport, «flank» means wing.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «flank» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.