hank / hangk/ • n. 1. a coil or skein of yarn, hair, rope, or other material: a thick hank of her blonde hair.2. a measurement of the length per unit mass of cloth or yarn, which varies according to the type being measured. For example, a hank is equal to 840 yards for cotton yarn and 560 yards for worsted.3. Sailing a ring for securing a staysail to the stay.

Hank

circular coil of anything flexible; a skein or coil of thread.

Examples: hank of cotton [840 yds.], 1788; of gut [angling], 1834; of hair, 1859; of rope, 1788; of silk, 1674; of gold wire, 1560; of wool; of words, 1745; or worsted yarn [560 yds.], 1776.

hank XIII. — ON. *hanku (later hǫnk; cf. hanki hasp, clasp).
So hank vb. XIII. — ON. hanka.