yank

Etymology 1

Attested since 1822; from Scots yank. Unknown origin.

noun

1. A sudden, vigorous pull (sometimes defined as mass times jerk, or rate of change of force).
   He unjammed the rope with a short yank.
2. (slang) A masturbation session.
   He rested his hand on his bare chest, an innocent enough spot, but soon it drifted of its own accord down his stomach to slide beneath the waistband of his briefs. Fine. A quick yank would relieve the sexual tension that simmered in him. 2012, Bonnie Dee, Summer Devon, Serious Play, page 81

verb

1. (transitive) To pull (something) with a quick, strong action.
   Now a white-backed rams its head down the wildebeest’s throat and yanks out an eight-inch length of trachea, ribbed like a vacuum hose. 2015 December, Elizabeth Royte, “Vultures Are Revolting. Here’s Why We Need to Save Them.”, in National Geographic
   [Regarding risks of AI] And you just have to have somebody close to the power cord. [Laughs.] Right when you see it about to happen, you gotta yank that electricity out of the wall, man. 2016 October, Scott Dadich, quoting Barack Obama, “Barack Obama Talks AI, Robo Cars, and the Future of the World”, in Wired, →ISSN
2. (transitive, informal) To remove from distribution.
   They yanked the product as soon as they learned it was unsafe.

Etymology 2

noun

1. (often derogatory) Alternative letter-case form of Yank (“Yankee”).