frank

See also: frånk and Frank

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɹæŋk/, /fɹeɪŋk/

• Audio (US):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk
• Homophones: franc, Frank

Etymology 1

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 *frank (“courageous, free”) and/or Proto-West Germanic *frankō (“javelin, spear”). Doublet of Frank, franc, and farang.

Adjective

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.

Derived terms

• frank bank
• frank-fee
• frankly
• frank-marriage
• frankness
• frankpledge
• to be frank

 

Translations

bluntly honest

• Arabic: please add this translation if you can
• Armenian: please add this translation if you can
• Belarusian: шчы́ры (be) (ščýry), адкры́ты (be) (adkrýty)
• Bulgarian: и́скрен (bg) (ískren)
• Catalan: franc (ca)
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 坦誠／坦诚 (taan² sing⁴), 坦白 (taan² baak⁶)

  Mandarin: 坦誠／坦诚 (zh) (tǎnchéng), 真誠／真诚 (zh) (zhēnchéng), 坦白 (zh) (tǎnbái)

• Czech: upřímný (cs)
• Danish: oprigtig, ligefrem
• Dutch: eerlijk (nl), open (nl), oprecht (nl), openhartig (nl)
• Esperanto: malkaŝa, malkaŝema
• Finnish: suora (fi)
• French: franc (fr)
• Galician: franco (gl) m, franca f
• Georgian: please add this translation if you can
• German: ehrlich (de), offen (de), aufrichtig (de)
• Greek: please add this translation if you can
• Hebrew: כן (he) (ken), גלוי-לב (glúi-lev)
• Hungarian: nyílt (hu), őszinte (hu)
• Icelandic: please add this translation if you can
• Irish: oscailteach
• Italian: franco (it) m, franca (it) f
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Khmer: please add this translation if you can
• Korean: please add this translation if you can
• Latvian: atklāts
• Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
• Macedonian: искрен (iskren)
• Maori: māhorahora, tinihangakore
• Norman: franc
• Norwegian: frank
• Polish: szczery (pl), otwarty (pl)
• Portuguese: franco (pt)
• Romanian: franc (ro), sincer (ro)
• Russian: открове́нный (ru) (otkrovénnyj), и́скренний (ru) (ískrennij), откры́тый (ru) (otkrýtyj)
• Sanskrit: ऋजु (sa) (ṛju)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: искрен

  Roman: iskren (sh)

• Slovak: úprimný
• Slovene: odkrit, iskren (sl)
• Spanish: franco (es)
• Swedish: uppriktig (sv), rättfram (sv)
• Tagalog: prangka
• Thai: please add this translation if you can
• Turkish: please add this translation if you can
• Ukrainian: щи́рий (ščýryj), відве́ртий (vidvértyj)
• Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
• Volapük: stedälik (vo)

Noun

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."

Verb

US franking mark

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

1. To place a frank on an envelope.
   • 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter 20, in Sense and Sensibility […], volumes (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. To exempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc.
3. 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.

Translations

to place a frank on an envelope

• Dutch: frankeren (nl)
• Esperanto: afranki
• Finnish: frankeerata (fi)
• Galician: franquear (gl)
• German: freimachen (de)
• Hungarian: bérmentesít (hu)
• Maori: tāpane
• Swedish: frankera (sv)

See also

• prepay

Etymology 2

Clipping of frankfurter.

A frank on a bun.

Noun

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.

Derived terms

• ballpark frank
• cocktail frank

 

See also

• sav
• savaloy

Etymology 3

Noun

frank (plural franks)

1. (UK) The grey heron.

Etymology 4

From Old French franc.

Noun

frank (plural franks)

1. A pigsty.

Verb

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

Etymology 5

From French franc.

Noun

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.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfraŋk]
• Rhymes: -aŋk

Noun

frank m inan

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

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

Further reading

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

Dutch

Alternative forms

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

Etymology

From Middle Dutch vranc.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /frɑŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

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

Adjective

frank (comparative franker, superlative frankst)

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

Declension

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	—

Derived terms

• frank en vrij

Estonian

Etymology 1

German Franc.

Noun

frank (genitive frangi, partitive franki)

1. franc

Declension

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

Etymology 2

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

Noun

frank (genitive frangi, partitive franki)

1. Frank (Frankish person)

Declension

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

Further reading

• frank in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)

German

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fʁaŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

frank (strong nominative masculine singular franker, not comparable)

1. (archaic) frank

Usage notes

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

Declension

Positive forms of frank (uncomparable)

number & gender		singular			plural
		masculine	feminine	neuter
predicative		er ist frank	sie ist frank	es ist frank	sie sind frank
strong declension (without article)	nominative	franker	franke	frankes	franke
	genitive	franken	franker	franken	franker
	dative	frankem	franker	frankem	franken
	accusative	franken	franke	frankes	franke
weak declension (with definite article)	nominative	der franke	die franke	das franke	die franken
	genitive	des franken	der franken	des franken	der franken
	dative	dem franken	der franken	dem franken	den franken
	accusative	den franken	die franke	das franke	die franken
mixed declension (with indefinite article)	nominative	ein franker	eine franke	ein frankes	(keine) franken
	genitive	eines franken	einer franken	eines franken	(keiner) franken
	dative	einem franken	einer franken	einem franken	(keinen) franken
	accusative	einen franken	eine franke	ein frankes	(keine) franken

Further reading

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

Indonesian

Noun

frank (first-person possessive frankku, second-person possessive frankmu, third-person possessive franknya)

1. frank (coin)

Polish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈfraŋk/

• Audio:

  (file)

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

Noun

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)

Declension

Declension of frank

	singular	plural
nominative	frank	franki
genitive	franka	franków
dative	frankowi	frankom
accusative	franka	franki
instrumental	frankiem	frankami
locative	franku	frankach
vocative	franku	franki

Derived terms

adjective

• frankowy

 

Related terms

adjectives

• frankijski
• frankoński

 

nouns

• Frank
• Frankonia
• Frankonka
• Frankończyk

 

Further reading

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