Etymology From Middle English rink, renk, from Old English rinc (“man, warrior, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *rankiz (“upright man”), from *rankaz (“straight, upright”), from Proto-Indo-European *reǵ- (“straight, direct”). Cognate with Scots rink, renk (“man, warrior, hero”), Old Saxon rink (“man”), Old Norse rekkr (“a straight or upright man”), Old English ranc (“proud, noble, valiant”). More at rank.
1
UK, Dialectal A man, especially a warrior or hero.
rink
verb
Etymology Borrowed from Middle Scots rink, renk (“course, battlefield”), from Middle French renc, from Old French reng, from Frankish *hring, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz. Doublet of rank and ring.
Jack, who has a knack of knowing, seeing, and doing everything from its very beginning, had of course "rinked" on the only compo at that time laid down in London for the purpose, and visited by London's upper twenty.1877, Temple Bar, volume 49, page 479:
rink
noun
Etymology Borrowed from Middle Scots rink, renk (“course, battlefield”), from Middle French renc, from Old French reng, from Frankish *hring, from Proto-Germanic *hringaz. Doublet of rank and ring.
However, it was a more chastening day for Britain's women's team, who were unable to repeat their statement win over Canada against the Swedish rink who denied them European gold in November.2026 February 15, “GB curlers sweep aside Germany to edge closer to semis”, in BBC: