tanka

noun3

1. •
   A form of Japanese verse in five lines of 5, 7, 5, 7, and 7 morae.

   • Like haiku, tanka is a short, classical verse form that has attracted considerable attention in this century. — 1996
2. •
   (historical) A coin and unit of currency of varying value, formerly used in parts of India and Central Asia.

   • In Uzbek Turan Shah Rukh's tanka remained the standard silver coin and weighed an average of slightly more than 5 g throughout the sixteenth century. — 1994
3. •
   A kind of boat used in Guangdong, about 25 feet long and often rowed by Tanka women; junk.

   • Immediately on our nearing the harbour, a race took place among the amphibious damsels that inhabit the numerous sampans, tanka or egg-boats, which always lie within a short distance of the shore. — 1837

noun1

1. •
   A member of a group of people in southern China who traditionally live on junks.