Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.
Meanings
A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).
He unjammed the rope with a short yank.
(slang) An act of masturbation.
He rested his hand on his bare chest, an innocent enough spot, but soon it drifted of its own accord down his stomach to slide beneath the waistband of his briefs. Fine. A quick yank would relieve the sexual tension that simmered in him. 2012, Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon, Serious Play, page 81:
(Multicultural-London-English, alt-of, alternative, slang) Alternative form of shank (“stabbing weapon”).
Tell my young bad, she can vouch for me
I was only thirteen with a yank on me 2024 September 7, “Movie Star” (0:57 from the start), #ALG Grimzo x Alsz Gambino (lyrics):
ru дёрганье (A sudden, vigorous pull) · ca estrebada (A sudden, vigorous pull) · de Ruck (A sudden, vigorous pull) · fr coup sec (A sudden, vigorous pull) · ka ნახტომი (A sudden, vigorous pull) · fi kiskaisu (A sudden, vigorous pull) · pt puxão (A sudden, vigorous pull) · es tirón (A sudden, vigorous pull) · fi vetäisy (A sudden, vigorous pull) · el απότομο τράβηγμα (A sudden, vigorous pull) · sv ryck (A sudden, vigorous pull) · fa کشش ناگهانی (A sudden, vigorous pull) · it strattone (A sudden, vigorous pull) · fi riuhtaisu (A sudden, vigorous pull) · ru рыво́к (A sudden, vigorous pull) · bg рязко дръпване (A sudden, vigorous pull)
Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.
Meanings
(transitive) To pull (something) with a quick, strong action.
Now a white-backed rams its head down the wildebeest’s throat and yanks out an eight-inch length of trachea, ribbed like a vacuum hose. 2015 December, Elizabeth Royte, “Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need to Save Them.”, in National Geographic, archived from the original on 13 Dec 2015:
[Regarding risks of AI] And you just have to have somebody close to the power cord. [Laughs.]^([sic]) Right when you see it about to happen, you gotta yank that electricity out of the wall, man. 2016 October, Scott Dadich, quoting Barack Obama, “Barack Obama Talks AI, Robo Cars, and the Future of the World”, in Wired, →ISSN:
(informal, transitive) To remove; to recall or revoke.
The cops yanked my driver's license.
They yanked the product as soon as they learned it was unsafe.
(ambitransitive, slang) To masturbate.
In the dark protection of the auditorium and his Baltimore cape, with two coiled females only inches beneath his feet, completely in his power and ignorant of the invisible force that held them captive, only this shadow knew, the True Dildough, with great pleasure and tremendous gutsy motions, yanked his full-grown penis to a gigantically pleasurable orgasm. 1978, Larry Kramer, Faggots, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, pages 68–69:
bg дръпвам силно (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · it strappar via (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · es dar un tirón (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · de mit einem kurzem Ruck zerren (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · hu előránt (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · fi vetää pois markkinoilta (to remove from distribution) · fi vetäistä (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · hu megszüntet (to remove from distribution) · ja 引っ張る (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · es tirar de (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · fr tirer d'un coup sec (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · nl rukken (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · de aus dem Verkehr ziehen (to remove from distribution) · gd tarraing (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · hu töröl (to remove from distribution) · bg изтеглям (to remove from distribution) · hu visszavon (to remove from distribution) · fi riuhtaista (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · az dartmaq (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · ru вырыва́ть (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · nl sjorren (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · uk сми́кати (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · es tironear (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · fi kiskaista (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · ta பிடுங்கு (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · hu előkap (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · fi riuhtoa (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · ro înșfăca (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · mi haukume (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · hu kiránt (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · de mit einem kurzem Ruck ziehen (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · gd slaod (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · hu ránt (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · de mit einem kurzem Ruck reißen (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · es retirar (to remove from distribution) · uk сми́кнути (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · ru дёргать (to pull something with a quick, strong action) · fr retirer (to remove from distribution) · hu bevon (to remove from distribution) · nl een ruk geven (to pull something with a quick, strong action)
yank en · NOUN · etymology 2
Meanings
(alt-of, derogatory, often) Alternative letter-case form of Yank (“Yankee”).