an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
"The soldiers watched in awe as the massive tank rolled over the burnt-out bridge, its heavy cannon aimed at the enemy lines."
a large (usually metallic) vessel for holding gases or liquids
"The firefighters rushed to connect their hoses to the oxygen tank on the wall before entering the burning building."
A closed container for liquids or gases.
"The merchant weighed out exactly a tank of silver coins for the temple offering."
A small Indian dry measure, averaging 240 grains in weight.
In plain English: A tank is a large, heavily armored vehicle used by armies to protect soldiers and crush enemy defenses on the battlefield.
"He had to fill up his car's gas tank before the long trip."
store in a tank by causing (something) to flow into it
"The engineer adjusted the valve to drain the reservoir and fill the new storage tank."
consume excessive amounts of alcohol
"After the game, he decided to tank it all night at the local bar."
To fail or fall (often used in describing the economy or the stock market); to degenerate or decline rapidly; to plummet.
"I don't think I can tank any more criticism without losing my temper."
To stand; to tolerate.
In plain English: To tank means to fail completely or drop suddenly, especially in performance or value.
"The new battery tanked after just two hours of use."
Usage: Use this verb when an economic indicator, such as the stock market, drops sharply and unexpectedly. It is often paired with "the" before a noun like "market," but can also be used transitively without one, as in "prices tanked."
The word "tank" comes from Portuguese tanque, which likely originated from an Indo-Aryan language meaning a cistern or liquid container. When the term was first applied to armoured vehicles in 1915, it referred to their water-carrying prototypes that resembled tanks used for irrigation.