hank

 
Pronunciation: /haŋk/

noun

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

Origin:

Middle English: from Old Norse hǫnk; compare with Swedish hank 'string' and Danish hank 'handle'