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tank

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empty the tank

To contribute, expend, or put forth the utmost of one's effort, ability, and/or energy. The veteran singer still empties the tank at each and every one of his performances. All right, ladies. There's two minutes left and we need four more points to win the game, so go out there and empty the tank!

See also: empty, tank

built like a tank

Having a physique or structure that is strong and physically imposing. Man, you're built like a tank! You'd be a great addition to the football team as a linebacker! If you're going out in this snow, take my car—it's built like a tank!

See also: built, like, tank

think tank

An organization or group of people working to perform research and propose solutions and courses of action to another organization or group, often political parties, government bodies, or the military. President Ronald Reagan based many of his policies on the results of a study done by the Heritage Foundation, an influential conservative think tank.

See also: tank, think

tank up

 (on something) and tank up with something

1. Lit. to fill one's fuel tank with something. I need to tank up on premium gas to stop this engine knock. It's time to stop and tank up. We need to tank up with gas.

2. Sl. to drink some kind of alcoholic beverage. toby spent the evening tanking up on bourbon. Jerry tanked up with gin and went to sleep.

See also: tank, up

tank up on something

to drink a great deal of something Be sure to tank up on water before you work outdoors on a hot day! We tanked up on gin and tonics and then had a long nap.

See also: on, tank, up

tank up (something)

also tank something up

to fill the fuel container of a vehicle with gas or other fuel There won't be any gas stations for miles and miles, so we'd better tank up now. It's always a good idea to tank up a rented car before you return it.

See also: tank, up

be built like a tank

if a person or a vehicle is built like a tank, they are very strong and very big These cars are built like tanks. I should imagine he's pretty strong - he's built like a tank.

See also: built, like, tank

a think-tank

a group of people established by a government or organization in order to advise them on particular subjects and to suggest ideas The pamphlet was published by the Adam Smith Institute, a right-wing think-tank. Loren Thompson is a military analyst at the Alexis de Tocqueville Institute, a new Washington think-tank.

tank up

1. Fill a gas tank with fuel, as in As soon as we tank up the car we can leave. [First half of 1900s]

2. Drink to the point of intoxication. F. Scott Fitzgerald used this expression in The Great Gatsby (1926): "I think he'd tanked up a good deal at luncheon." This expression often is put in the passive, meaning "be or become intoxicated," as in My roommate really got tanked up last night. [Slang; c. 1900]

See also: tank, up

think tank

A group or organization dedicated to problem-solving and research, especially in such areas as technology, social or political strategy, and the military. For example, The congressional leaders rely too heavily on that conservative think tank. This term originated about 1900 as a facetious colloquialism for brain and was given its new meaning about 1950.

See also: tank, think

tank up

v.

1. To fill the tank of a motor vehicle with gasoline: Gas prices are so high, I can barely afford to tank up. Don't tank up with low-quality gasoline.

2. To eat, drink, or accumulate a supply of food or drink: Midway through the hike, we stopped by a stream to tank up on water. The travelers pulled into a roadside diner and tanked up.

3. Slang To intoxicate someone: Someone poured a bottle of vodka in the punch and tanked up the unsuspecting partygoers. The kids got tanked up on soda pop and ran around in the yard. Many of the revelers were too tanked up to drive home.

4. Slang To drink to the point of intoxication: The losing team is tanking up at the bar.

5. Slang To be consumed to the point of intoxicating someone: That last glass of whiskey really tanked me up.

See also: tank, up

avenue tank

n. a bus. Watch out for them avenue tanks when you cross the street.

See also: avenue, tank

drunk tank

n. a jail cell where drunks are kept. (see also junk tank.) They hose down the drunk tank every hour on Friday and Saturday nights.

See also: drunk, tank

junk tank

n. a jail cell where addicts are kept. (see also drunk tank.) That junk tank is a very dangerous place.

See also: junk, tank

on the tank

and on a tank

mod. on a drinking bout. All the guys were on the tank last Saturday.

See also: on, tank

on a tank

verb

See on the tank

See also: on, tank

tank

1. and tank up in. to drink too much beer; to drink to excess. Let’s go out this Friday and tank a while.

2. n. a drunkard. (Usually tank-up.) You’re turning into a real tank, Harry.

3. n. a jail cell for holding drunks. One night in the tank was enough to make John take the pledge.

4. tv. & in. to lose a game deliberately. The manager got wind of a plan to tank Friday’s game.

5. in. for something to fail. The entire stock market tanked on Friday.

tank up

verb

See tank

See also: tank, up

think-tank

n. a place where great minds are assembled to try to think up solutions to problems or to envision the future. She spent a few months in a California think-tank, then came back to teach.

in the tank

1. In reserve: a runner who didn't have enough in the tank to hold the lead.

2. In a state of decline or failure: Stocks have been in the tank for months.

3. Enthusiastically partial; strongly favoring: a reporter accused of being in the tank for a candidate.

See also: tank