prank

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Contents

English[edit]

Etymology[edit]

From Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”). Cognate with Middle Low German prunken (“to flaunt”), German prunken (“to flaunt”), Danish prunke (“to make a show, prank”). Connected also with German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *pranganą, *prangijaną, *prag- (“to press, squeeze, thring”), from Proto-Indo-European *brAngh- (“to press, squeeze”). Sense of "mischievous act" from earlier verbal sense of "to be crafty or subtle, set in order, adjust". See also prink, prance.

Pronunciation[edit]

Noun[edit]

prank (plural pranks)

  1. (obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.
    • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.4.2.ii:
      Hercules, after all his mad pranks upon his wife and children, was perfectly cured by a purge of hellebor, which an Antieyrian administered unto him.
  2. A practical joke or mischievous trick.
    • Shakespeare
      His pranks have been too broad to bear with.
    • Sir Walter Raleigh
      The harpies […] played their accustomed pranks.

Synonyms[edit]

Derived terms[edit]

Translations[edit]

practical joke or mischievous trick

Verb[edit]

prank (third-person singular simple present pranks, present participle pranking, simple past pranked, past participle pranked or archaic prankt)

  1. (transitive) To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
    • 1880 Dante Gabriel Rosetti, For Spring, by Sandro Botticelli, lines 2–3
      Flora, wanton-eyed
      For birth, and with all flowrets prankt and pied:
    • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, B:II
      And there a Seaſon atween June and May,
      Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd,
      A liſtleſs Climate made, where, Sooth to ſay,
      No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.
  2. (intransitive) To make ostentatious show.
    • M. Arnold
      White houses prank where once were huts.
  3. (transitive) To perform a practical joke on; to trick.
  4. (transitive, slang) To call someone's phone and promptly hang up
    Hey man, prank me when you wanna get picked up.
    I don't have your number in my phone, can you prank me?

Adjective[edit]

prank (comparative more prank, superlative most prank)

  1. (obsolete) Full of gambols or tricks.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

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