a coil of rope or wool or yarn
"The weaver carefully wound the fresh wool into a neat hank before starting to spin."
A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope.
"She wound the new spool of red yarn into a neat hank before tying it to her bag."
In plain English: A hank is a loose bundle of yarn, hair, or rope that has been twisted together and left to hang freely without being wound into a ball.
"I tied my shoelaces into a loose hank before putting on my shoes."
Usage: Use "hank" to describe a specific length of stringy material like wool, cotton, or wire that has been wound into a loose circle. This term is often confused with similar units for other materials but specifically refers to the coiled shape rather than just any bundle.
To form into hanks.
"The wool spinner carefully wound each fiber into tight, looped coils known as hanks before dyeing them."
A diminutive of the male given name Henry.
"The old man signed his letter with a simple hank instead of writing out the full name Henry."
The word "hank" comes from Middle English and is related to Scandinavian terms for a hook or something bent. It entered the language in the 14th century, originally referring to a looped piece of rope or yarn that could be hooked onto something.