frank

• IPA^(key): /fɹæŋk/, /fɹeɪŋk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk
• Homophones: franc, Frank

From Middle English frank, from Old French franc (“free”), in turn from the name of an early Germanic confederation, the Franks, from Proto-West Germanic *frankō (“javelin, spear”). Doublet of Frank, franc, and farang.

frank (comparative franker, superlative frankest)

1. Honest, especially in a manner that seems slightly blunt; candid; not reserved or disguised.

   May I be frank with you?

2. (medicine) Unmistakable, clinically obvious, self-evident.

   The research probes whether treating pre-diabetes with metformin can prevent progression to frank diabetes.

3. (obsolete) Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.; free.
   • 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:

     It is of frank gift.

4. (obsolete) Liberal; generous; profuse.
   • 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:

     Frank of Civilities that cost them nothing.

5. (obsolete, derogatory) Unrestrained; loose; licentious.
   • 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Muiopotmos, or The Fate of the Butterflie”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:

     Over the fields, in his franke lustinesse,
     And all the champain o're he soared light.

frank (plural franks)

1. (uncountable) Free postage, a right exercised by governments (usually with definite article).
   • October 5, 1780, William Cowper, letter to Rev. William Unwin

     I have said so much, that, if I had not a frank, I must burn my letter and begin again.

2. (countable) The notice on an envelope where a stamp would normally be found.
   • 1842, [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon], “(please specify the page)”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, pages 178–179:

     But, although her friends were kind, Lady Anne was not easy; neither daughter made her appearance, nor did she receive a letter to account for their silence. She remembered, indeed, that Charles Penrhyn could not get franks now, and her daughters knew she would not pay postage; and she had commanded Helen to work night and day, saying, "surely they can give her common materials."

frank (third-person singular simple present franks, present participle franking, simple past and past participle franked)

1. (transitive) To place a frank on an envelope.
   • 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter 20, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

     It will be so ridiculous to see all his letters directed to him with an M.P.—But do you know, he says, he will never frank for me?

2. (transitive) To exempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc.
3. (transitive) To send by public conveyance free of expense.
   • 1850-1859, Charles Dickens, Household Words

     This required extensive correspondence; so, in the next place, the privilege of franking letters in reference to the emigrants' registration office, was obtained—much to the indignation of red tapists.

• prepay

Clipping of frankfurter.

frank (plural franks)

1. A hot dog or sausage.

   Synonyms: frankfurt, frankfurter

   Buy a package of franks for the barbecue.

   • 1957, Jack Kerouac, chapter 1, in On the Road, Viking Press, →OCLC, part 1:

     We had a farewell meal of franks and beans in a Seventh Avenue Riker’s, and then Dean got on the bus that said Chicago and roared off into the night.

   • 1978, Superman: The Movie, spoken by Perry White (Jackie Cooper):

     I want the name of this flying whatchamacallit to go with the Daily Planet like bacon and eggs, franks and beans, death and taxes, politics and corruption!

   • 1988 June 28, “Cold Lampin' With Flavor” (track 4), in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back‎^[1], performed by Public Enemy:

     I'm in my Flavmobile cold lamping. I took a G upstate cold camping. To the Poconos, we call a hideaways. A bag of franks and a bag of Frito-Lays.

• sav
• savaloy

frank (plural franks)

1. (UK) The grey heron.

From Old French franc.

frank (plural franks)

1. A pigsty.

frank (third-person singular simple present franks, present participle franking, simple past and past participle franked)

1. To shut up in a frank or sty; to pen up; hence, to cram; to fatten.
   • c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:

     Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repaid;
     He is franked up to fatting for his pains

From French franc.

frank (plural franks)

1. (historical) Obsolete form of franc, former French coins, moneys of account, and currency.
   • 1771, Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1st ed., Vol. II, p. 630:

     Frank, or Franc, an ancient coin, either of gold or ſilver, ſtruck and current in France. The value of the gold frank was ſomewhat more than that of the gold crown; the ſilver frank was a third of the gold one; this coin is long out of uſe, though the term is ſtill retained as the name of a money of account; in which ſenſe it is equivalent to the livre, or twenty ſols.

• IPA^(key): [ˈfraŋk]
• Hyphenation: frank
• Rhymes: -aŋk

frank m inan

1. franc (any of several units of currency such as Swiss franc)
2. franc (former currency of France and some other countries)

• “frank”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “frank”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “frank”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2025

• vrank (archaic, except in the expression vrank en vrij)

From Middle Dutch vranc.

• IPA^(key): /frɑŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: frank
• Rhymes: -ɑŋk
• Homophone: Frank

frank (comparative franker, superlative frankst)

1. frank, candid, blunt, open-hearted
2. (dated) cheeky, brazen

Declension of frank
uninflected	frank
inflected	franke
comparative	franker
		positive	comparative	superlative
predicative/adverbial		frank	franker	het frankst het frankste
indefinite	m./f. sing.	franke	frankere	frankste
	n. sing.	frank	franker	frankste
	plural	franke	frankere	frankste
definite		franke	frankere	frankste
partitive		franks	frankers	—

• frank en vrij

German Franc.

frank (genitive frangi, partitive franki)

1. franc

Declension of frank (ÕS type 22e/riik, k-g gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		frank	frangid
accusative	nom.
	gen.	frangi
genitive			frankide
partitive		franki	franke frankisid
illative		franki frangisse	frankidesse frangesse
inessive		frangis	frankides franges
elative		frangist	frankidest frangest
allative		frangile	frankidele frangele
adessive		frangil	frankidel frangel
ablative		frangilt	frankidelt frangelt
translative		frangiks	frankideks frangeks
terminative		frangini	frankideni
essive		frangina	frankidena
abessive		frangita	frankideta
comitative		frangiga	frankidega

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

frank (genitive frangi, partitive franki)

1. Frank (Frankish person)

Declension of frank (ÕS type 22e/riik, k-g gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		frank	frangid
accusative	nom.
	gen.	frangi
genitive			frankide
partitive		franki	franke frankisid
illative		franki frangisse	frankidesse frangesse
inessive		frangis	frankides franges
elative		frangist	frankidest frangest
allative		frangile	frankidele frangele
adessive		frangil	frankidel frangel
ablative		frangilt	frankidelt frangelt
translative		frangiks	frankideks frangeks
terminative		frangini	frankideni
essive		frangina	frankidena
abessive		frangita	frankideta
comitative		frangiga	frankidega

• frank in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)

From Middle High German franc, from Old French franc (“free”), of Germanic but eventually uncertain origin.

• IPA^(key): /fʁaŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

frank (strong nominative masculine singular franker, not comparable)

1. (archaic) frank

• Now almost exclusively used in the (also somewhat dated) expression frank und frei.

• “frank” in Duden online
• “frank” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

• IPA^(key): [ˈfrɒŋk]
• Rhymes: -ɒŋk

frank (not comparable)

1. Frankish (of or pertaining to the Franks)
2. Frankish (in or of the language of the Franks)
3. Franconian (of or relating to Franconia (a region in Bavaria) or its inhabitants)

   Synonym: frankföldi

4. Franconian (of or related to their language)
5. (rare, archaic) French (of or relating to France, their people, culture, or language)

   Synonym: francia

frank (countable and uncountable, plural frankok)

1. Frank (Frankish person)
2. Frankish (Frankish language)
3. Franconian (a native or inhabitant of Franconia)

   Synonym: frankföldi

4. Franconian (their language)
5. (archaic) French person (Frenchman/Frenchwoman) or their language

   Synonym: (both senses) francia

frank (plural frankok)

1. franc (current Swiss and other national currency or former French, Belgian, or Luxembourgish currency)

• (people or language): frank in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.
• (currency): frank in Géza Bárczi, László Országh, et al., editors, A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára [The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language] (ÉrtSz.), Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN.

frank (plural frank-frank)

1. frank (coin)

Borrowed from French franc, from Middle French franc, from Medieval Latin Franc, from Frankish *frankō (“a Frank”). Doublet of Frank.

• IPA^(key): /ˈfraŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aŋk
• Syllabification: frank
• Homophone: Frank

frank m animal

1. (historical) franc (former unit of currency of Belgium)
2. franc (currency of the Comoros)
3. (historical) franc (former unit of currency of France)
4. franc (currency of Liechtenstein)
5. (historical) franc (former unit of currency of Luxembourg)
6. (historical) franc (former unit of currency of Monaco)
7. franc (currency of Switzerland)

• frank in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• frank in Polish dictionaries at PWN