bankside
|bank-side|
/ˈbæŋksaɪd/
riverbank area
Etymology
'bankside' originates from English, specifically a compound of the words 'bank' and 'side', where 'bank' derived from Old Norse 'banki' or Old English 'banke' meaning 'slope' or 'bench', and 'side' derived from Old English 'sīde' meaning 'side'.
'bank' developed from Old English/Old Norse forms (Old English 'benc'/'banke', Old Norse 'banki'); the compound 'bank-side' appeared in Middle English and later solidified into the modern form 'bankside'.
Initially it meant 'the side of a bank' in a literal geographic sense; over time it came to be used more specifically for 'the area alongside a river' and also as a proper noun for the London district 'Bankside'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the area at the side of a river or other body of water; the riverbank or riverside.
They sat on the bankside and watched the boats go by.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Noun 2
a proper name: Bankside, a district on the south bank of the River Thames in London (site of cultural institutions such as the Tate Modern).
Bankside is home to the Tate Modern museum.
Last updated: 2026/01/12 08:26