different between plank vs plancher

English

Etymology

From Middle English plank, planke, borrowed from Old French planke, Old Northern French planque (compare French planche, from Old French planche), from Vulgar Latin planca, from palanca, from Latin phalanga. The Latin term derives from the Ancient Greek ?????? (phálanx), so it is thus a doublet of phalange and phalanx. Compare also the doublet planch, borrowed later from Middle French.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /plæ?k/
• Rhymes: -æ?k
• Homophone: Planck

Noun

plank (plural planks)

1. A long, broad and thick piece of timber, as opposed to a board which is less thick.
2. (figuratively) A political issue that is of concern to a faction or a party of the people and the political position that is taken on that issue.
3. Physical exercise in which one holds a pushup position for a measured length of time.
4. (Britain, slang) A stupid person, idiot.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:idiot

5. That which supports or upholds.
   • 1829, Robert Southey, Sir Thomas More; or, Colloquies on the Progress and Prospects of Society

     His charity is a better plank than the faith of an intolerant and bitter-minded bigot.

Derived terms

• plank spanker
• walk the plank

Descendants

• Tok Pisin: plangk

Translations

Verb

plank (third-person singular simple present planks, present participle planking, simple past and past participle planked)

1. (transitive) To cover something with planking.
2. (transitive) To bake (fish, etc.) on a piece of cedar lumber.
   • 1998, Richard Gerstell, American Shad in the Susquehanna River Basin (page 147)

     Along the lower river, planked shad dinners (baked and broiled) were highly popular during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

3. (transitive, colloquial) To lay down, as on a plank or table; to stake or pay cash.

4. (transitive) To harden, as hat bodies, by felting.
5. To splice together the ends of slivers of wool, for subsequent drawing.
6. (intransitive) To pose for a photograph while lying rigid, face down, arms at side, in an unusual place.

Translations

Afrikaans

Etymology

From Dutch plank, from Middle Dutch planke, from Old Dutch [Term?], from Old Northern French planke, from Late Latin planca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pla?k/

Noun

plank (plural planke, diminutive plankie)

1. A plank.

Derived terms

• branderplank

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch planke, from Old Dutch *planca, from Old Northern French planke, from Late Latin planca.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pl??k/
• Hyphenation: plank
• Rhymes: -??k

Noun

plank f (plural planken, diminutive plankje n)

1. shelf
2. (wooden) plank

Derived terms

• boekenplank
• duikplank
• loopplank
• op de planken
• plankenkoorts
• plankgas
• springplank
• surfplank
• van de bovenste plank

Descendants

• Afrikaans: plank
• ? Sranan Tongo: planga

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English plank.

Noun

plank m (invariable)

1. (neologism) plank (physical exercise)

Swedish

Noun

plank n

1. a high wooden fence which completely prevents any seeing-through

Declension

Derived terms

• bullerplank

English

Etymology

French planche.

Noun

plancher (plural planchers)

1. A floor made of wood.
2. A plank.

   • Elm; [used] some for planchers

3. (architecture) The underside of a cornice; a soffit.

Verb

plancher (third-person singular simple present planchers, present participle planchering, simple past and past participle planchered)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To form using planks.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Golding to this entry?)

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pl??.?e/

Etymology 1

From planche.

Noun

plancher m (plural planchers)

1. floor
2. lower limit
3. (anatomy) floor

Derived terms

• débarrasser le plancher
• mettre le pied au plancher
• plancher des vaches

Etymology 2

From planche.

Verb

plancher

1. (intransitive) to talk

Conjugation

Further reading

• “plancher” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).