unplankv.
/(ˌ)ʌnˈplaŋk/, U.S. /ˌənˈplæŋk/ Now rare.
transitive. To remove planks from (a floor, bridge, etc.).
ΘΚΠ
the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > damage > damage or injure [verb (transitive)] > damage deliberately or vandalize > gut or remove things from a building, etc.
unripa1513
tirr1553
discover1563
unfloor1589
unpinion1593
unbottom1598
unbrick1598
unpave1598
unroof1598
unslate1598
untop1598
flay1636
unplank1646
gut1688
unmantle1828
1646 J. Howell Lustra Ludovici 35 They unplank'd his roomes, grub'd up his trees, and committed divers barbarismes besides.
1654 E. Gayton Pleasant Notes Don Quixot iii. xii. 74 Having no notice the place was unplankt and laid open.
c1660 J. Gwynne Mil. Mem. (1822) 33 One man might..cut down an arch of the bridge, or unplank it, and so make it inaccessible.
1834 J. S. Macaulay Treat. Field Fortification 246 While the repair of the third bay was in progress, the remaining bay was partly unplanked.
2003 E. G. Longacre Gentleman & Soldier ix. 171 The commander..had been forewarned of the advance.., enabling him to unplank the bridge, stranding the Yankees on the south bank.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, December 2014; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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