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Frank
Definitions
- 1 Honest, especially in a manner that seems slightly blunt; candid; not reserved or disguised.
"May I be frank with you?"
- 2 Unmistakable, clinically obvious, self-evident.
"The research probes whether treating pre-diabetes with metformin can prevent progression to frank diabetes."
- 3 Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.; free. obsolete
"It is of frank gift."
- 4 Liberal; generous; profuse. obsolete
"Frank of Civilities that cost them nothing."
- 5 Unrestrained; loose; licentious. derogatory, obsolete
"Over the fields, in his franke lustinesse, And all the champain o're he soared light."
- 1 characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion wordnet
- 2 clearly manifest; evident wordnet
- 1 A male given name from the Germanic languages.
"Mrs. Ford. How now, sweet Frank! why art thou melancholy?"
- 2 A diminutive of the male given name Francis.
"Your name is Francis, is it? Frank, sir. Your name is Francis. There was never a St. Frank. That's a name for gangsters and politicians."
- 3 A surname transferred from the nickname.
- 4 A place name:; A community in Crowsnest Pass municipality, south-west Alberta, Canada.
- 5 A place name:; An unincorporated community in Avery County, North Carolina, United States.
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- 6 A place name:; A census-designated place in Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States.
- 1 Free postage, a right exercised by governments (usually with definite article). uncountable
"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 A hot dog or sausage.
"Buy a package of franks for the barbecue."
- 3 The grey heron. UK
- 4 A pigsty.
- 5 Obsolete form of franc, former French coins, moneys of account, and currency. alt-of, historical, obsolete
"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."
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- 6 One of the Franks, a Germanic federation that inhabited parts of what are now France, the Low Countries and Germany.
- 7 device or marking such as postage stamp, printed or stamped impressions, codings, labels, manuscript writings, or any other authorized form of markings affixed or applied to mails to qualify them to be postally serviced. wordnet
- 8 The notice on an envelope where a stamp would normally be found. countable
"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.""
- 9 Frenchman.
- 10 a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll wordnet
- 11 a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century wordnet
- 1 To place a frank on an envelope. transitive
"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 To shut up in a frank or sty; to pen up; hence, to cram; to fatten.
"Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repaid; He is franked up to fatting for his pains"
- 3 exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks wordnet
- 4 To exempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc. transitive
- 5 stamp with a postmark to indicate date and time of mailing wordnet
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- 6 To send by public conveyance free of expense. transitive
"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."
Etymology
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.
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.
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.
Clipping of frankfurter.
From Old French franc.
From Old French franc.
From French franc.
From Middle English Frank, partially from Old English Franca (“a Frank”); and partially from Old French Franc, and/or Latin Francus (“a Frank”), from Frankish *Franko (“a Frank”); both maybe from Proto-Germanic *frankô (“javelin”). Cognate with Old High German Franko (“a Frank”), Old English franca (“spear, javelin”). Compare Saxon, ultimately a derivative of Proto-Germanic *sahsą (“knife, dagger”). Doublet of franc, frank, and farang.
The surname derives from the medieval tribal name. The given name is also a form of Francis, with formal given name status since the 19th century.
See also for "frank"
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