tank
tank — noun
1. a large container, usually made of metal or strong plastic, used for keeping or
a large container, usually made of metal or strong plastic, used for keeping or moving liquids or gases such as water, fuel, or chemicals.
The mechanic drained the oil from the tank before replacing the filter.
noun modifier: oil tank / fuel tank
Water tanks on the roof collect rainwater for the garden during the dry season.
Liam cleaned the fish tank every two weeks to keep the water clear for his pet fish.
collocation: fish tank
Gas tanks must be checked regularly for leaks to prevent accidents in the building.
The factory installed a new storage tank to hold the chemicals used in production.
collocation: storage tank
- a tank of
- fuel tank
- water tank
- fish tank
- gas tank
- storage tank
- fill the tank
- drain the tank
- tank capacity
- tank level
Grammar Patterns
a tank of [liquid/gas]
[noun] tank (e.g. fish tank, petrol tank)
Usage Note
Frequently combines with a noun that tells you what the tank contains: petrol tank, fish tank, water tank, gas tank, fuel tank.
Common Mistakes
2. a heavily armoured military fighting vehicle with large guns that runs on contin
a heavily armoured military fighting vehicle with large guns that runs on continuous metal belts looped around wheels, allowing it to move across rough ground.
The army sent six tanks to guard the border crossing near the village.
Jiwoo watched a documentary about how tanks changed the way wars were fought in the twentieth century.
historical usage context
A tank's thick armour can stop most bullets and small bombs from reaching the crew inside.
The old tank sat in the museum courtyard with its guns removed for public safety.
passive: was removed / sat (positional verb)
- tank battalion
- tank commander
- tank crew
- tank battle
- heavy tank
- light tank
- drive a tank
- tank regiment
- armoured vehicle
broader category; includes tanks and other protected military vehicles
- armoured car
a lighter, wheeled vehicle with armour, not a tank
- battle tank
a full-size combat tank, as opposed to lighter armoured vehicles
Grammar Patterns
[number] + tank(s)
tank + [noun] (e.g. tank commander, tank battalion)
Usage Note
Often used attributively before another noun: tank commander, tank battalion, tank battle, tank engine. The plural is irregular only in that military contexts often use 'tank' as an uncountable modifier ('tank division').
3. a situation where a person or organization starts competing directly in another'
a situation where a person or organization starts competing directly in another's established area of business or activity, often threatening their position.
The new streaming service is now competing in the tank of the traditional TV networks.
figurative: in the tank of [competitor]
Hassan worried that the large supermarket chain was operating in the tank of his small grocery store.
Local bookshops feel the online retailer has moved into their tank with discounted prices and fast delivery.
The startup is already operating in the tank of established car makers with its electric vans.
figurative domain: business competition
- in someone's tank
- move into someone's tank
- compete in the tank of
Grammar Patterns
in someone's tank
on someone's tank
Usage Note
A figurative and informal use, most common in business and competitive contexts. The phrase 'in someone's tank' suggests territory that someone previously controlled alone.
4. a man-made pool or lake, often built to store water for a town, farm, factory, o
a man-made pool or lake, often built to store water for a town, farm, factory, or for swimming.
The village built a large tank to store water for the rice fields during the dry months.
Swimming in the old quarry tank was forbidden after two accidents last summer.
collocation: quarry tank
Eshe watched the swans glide across the ornamental tank in the city park.
collocation: ornamental tank
The tank behind the factory supplies water to cool the machines during production.
- swimming tank
- water tank
- ornamental tank
- quarry tank
- storage tank
Grammar Patterns
a tank of [water]
storage tank
Usage Note
This sense is more common in British and Australian English than in American English, where 'reservoir' or 'pond' is preferred for artificial bodies of water.
Common Mistakes
5. a piece of clothing without sleeves that covers the upper part of the body, typi
a piece of clothing without sleeves that covers the upper part of the body, typically worn in warm weather or during exercise.
Christopher wore a white tank top and shorts to the beach on Saturday.
Tank tops are popular in summer because they let your arms move freely and keep you cool.
reason clause
The gym rules say you must wear a tank top or a T-shirt while using the equipment.
Lotte bought three tank tops on sale — one blue, one green, and one with stripes.
quantifier: three tank tops
- wear a tank top
- cotton tank top
- white tank top
- tank top and shorts
Grammar Patterns
wear a tank top
a tank top
Usage Note
Called a 'singlet' or 'vest' in British English. The name comes from the early 20th-century 'tank suit' — a one-piece bathing suit worn in swimming tanks (artificial pools).
Common Mistakes
6. the quantity of liquid, gas, or other material that a tank holds when it is full
the quantity of liquid, gas, or other material that a tank holds when it is full.
The car can drive about five hundred kilometres on a full tank of petrol.
collocation: a full tank of
Nikhil used an entire tank of paint to cover the walls of the living room.
A single tank of water lasts the family about three days during the hot summer months.
The truck driver checked how far he could go on half a tank before deciding to stop.
collocation: half a tank
- a full tank
- half a tank
- a tank of gas
- a tank of petrol
- a tank of water
- a tank of paint
Grammar Patterns
a tank of [substance]
a full tank
half a tank
Usage Note
Often follows 'full' or 'half' — 'a full tank,' 'half a tank.' 'A tank of gas/petrol' is extremely common in driving contexts.
Common Mistakes
tank — verb
1. to fall quickly and dramatically in price, value, or level of success.
to fall quickly and dramatically in price, value, or level of success.
The company's shares tanked after the CEO announced lower profits than expected.
intransitive: shares tanked
Noa's confidence tanked when she saw how difficult the final exam questions were.
metaphorical: confidence tanked
The value of the local currency tanked overnight after the government's surprise announcement.
Sven sold his shares quickly before the price could tank any further.
Tourism in the region tanked after the hurricane destroyed most of the hotels.
domain: tourism / natural disaster context
- shares tank
- prices tank
- sales tank
- confidence tank
- tank overnight
- tank unexpectedly
Grammar Patterns
prices/shares/values + tank
something + tanks + [object] (less common)
Usage Note
Informal, common in financial journalism and everyday speech. Can be used transitively ('The bad news tanked the stock price') but most often intransitive ('Sales tanked').
Common Mistakes
2. to deliberately or accidentally cause something to fail or become much less succ
to deliberately or accidentally cause something to fail or become much less successful.
A series of poor decisions by the new manager tanked the department's productivity.
transitive: bad decisions tanked productivity
The negative reviews tanked the restaurant's reputation almost as soon as it opened.
Théo's mistake during the presentation tanked the team's chances of winning the contract.
The scandal tanked any hope she had of being re-elected for a second term.
- tank a project
- tank a plan
- tank someone's chances
- tank a reputation
- tank productivity
Grammar Patterns
[subject] + tank + [object]
Usage Note
Always transitive — you tank something (a plan, a project, a reputation, a chance). The object is something that had potential for success.
Common Mistakes
3. to deliberately play below your ability in a sporting contest, ensuring you lose
to deliberately play below your ability in a sporting contest, ensuring you lose, often to gain a future benefit.
The player was accused of tanking the match to help a friend win a large bet.
transitive: tank the match
Some basketball teams tank at the end of a weak season to get a better draft pick.
Nicholas knew the other boxer was tanking when he stopped throwing punches in the third round.
intransitive: was tanking
Fans were angry when they discovered the club had been tanking games for money.
progressive: had been tanking
- tank a game
- tank a match
- tank a season
- tanking for a draft pick
- accused of tanking
- throw (a game)
to deliberately lose; often implies the player is paid or forced
- fix (a match)
to arrange a result dishonestly, usually for betting profits
Grammar Patterns
[team/player] + tanks
[team/player] + tanks + [match/season]
Usage Note
Widely used in North American professional sports discussions. The noun form 'tanking' ('The team was accused of tanking') is very common. This is considered unethical and is often against league rules.
Common Mistakes
4. to apply a thick layer of plaster or a waterproof substance to a wall, ceiling,
to apply a thick layer of plaster or a waterproof substance to a wall, ceiling, or floor so that moisture cannot get through.
Caio spent the weekend tanking the basement walls to stop water from seeping through.
gerund: tanking the walls
The builders tanked the bathroom floor with a waterproof layer before laying the tiles.
passive: tanked the floor with [substance]
Before painting the kitchen, you should tank any cracks in the ceiling with sealant.
The old stone wall was tanked with a special coating that keeps dampness out.
passive: was tanked with
- tank a wall
- tank a basement
- tank a floor
- tank with plaster
- tank with sealant
- seal
more general; to close a surface so that nothing passes through
- waterproof
to make something resistant to water
- plaster
to cover a wall with plaster — not necessarily for waterproofing
Grammar Patterns
tank + [wall/surface] + with + [substance]
Usage Note
Technical term in British construction. The past participle 'tanked' is common ('a tanked wall,' 'tanked bathroom'). In American English, 'waterproof' or 'seal' is more common for this action.
Word family
- tankernounB1
- tankingnounC1
- tankardnounC1
- tank topnounB1
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/1
All four words describe a decrease, but they differ in speed, severity, and formality. 'Tank' (informal) suggests a fast, dramatic fall — often in finance or business contexts — and can also be used metaphorically ('confidence tanked'). 'Plummet' is similar in speed but slightly more formal, often used in journalism ('prices plummeted'). 'Crash' implies a sudden and complete collapse, carrying the strongest sense of disaster ('the stock market crashed'). 'Slump' is slower and less dramatic — a gradual decline over a period of time ('sales slumped during the recession'). 'Tumble' is softer than tank or crash, suggesting a noticeable but not catastrophic drop ('the company's shares tumbled 5%'). Example: 'The stock price tanked after the CEO resigned' (fast, dramatic, informal) vs 'The stock price slumped over several months' (gradual, formal).
Common collocations
Phrases
- a tank of
- a full tank
- half a tank
- in the tank
- tank top
Prepositions
- of (a tank of water)
- in (in the tank)
- from (from the tank)
- with (tank with sealant)
- into (move into someone's tank)
Etymology
The word 'tank' entered English in the early 1600s from Gujarati 'tānkh' (a reservoir or cistern), which trace back to Sanskrit 'tadāga' (a pond or lake). The original English meaning was 'an artificial pool or reservoir for water.' During World War I (1915-1916), the British Army needed a code name for a secret new armoured fighting vehicle. Workers building the vehicles were told they were making 'water tanks' for the army in Mesopotamia, and the name stuck. The verb meanings (to decline rapidly, to lose intentionally) emerged in American English in the early 20th century, possibly from the image of a tank sinking or being knocked out of action.