frank

See also: Frank

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fɹæŋk/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æŋk
• Homophones: franc, Frank

Etymology 1

From Old French franc (“free”), in turn from the name of an early Germanic confederation, the Franks.

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.
   • (Can we date this quote by Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     It is of frank gift.

4. (obsolete) Liberal; generous; profuse.
   • (Can we date this quote by L'Estrange and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     Frank of civilities that cost them nothing.

5. (obsolete, derogatory) Unrestrained; loose; licentious.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Spenser to this entry?)

Derived terms

• frankly

Translations

bluntly honest

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

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

• Czech: upřímný (cs)
• Dutch: eerlijk (nl), open (nl), oprecht (nl), openhartig (nl)
• Esperanto: malkaŝa, malkaŝema
• Finnish: suora (fi)
• French: franc (fr)
• Galician: franco (gl) m, franca f
• German: ehrlich (de), offen (de), aufrichtig (de)
• Hebrew: כן (he) (ken), גלוי-לב (glúi-lev)
• Hungarian: nyílt (hu), őszinte (hu)
• Irish: oscailteach
• Japanese: please add this translation if you can
• Latvian: atklāts
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: искрен (iskren)
• Norman: franc
• Norwegian: frank
• Polish: szczery (pl), otwarty (pl)
• Portuguese: franco (pt)
• Russian: открове́нный (ru) (otkrovénnyj), и́скренний (ru) (ískrennij), откры́тый (ru) (otkrýtyj)
• Serbo-Croatian:

  Cyrillic: искрен

  Roman: iskren (sh)

• Slovak: úprimný
• Slovene: odkrit, iskren (sl)
• Spanish: franco (es) m
• Swedish: uppriktig (sv), rättfram (sv)
• Tagalog: prangka
• Ukrainian: щи́рий (ščýryj), відве́ртий (vidvértyj)
• Volapük: stedälik (vo)

Noun

frank (plural franks)

1. (uncountable) Free postage, a right exercised by governments (usually with definite article).
   • (Can we date this quote by Cowper and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     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.

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, Sense and Sensibility, chapter 20

     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.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Charles Dickens to this entry?)

Translations

to place a frank on an envelope

• Dutch: frankeren (nl)
• Finnish: frankeerata (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Galician: franquear (gl)
• Hungarian: bérmentesít (hu)
• Swedish: frankera (sv)

See also

• prepay

Etymology 2

Shortened form 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.

Related terms

• 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.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)

---

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈfraŋk]
• Rhymes: -aŋk

Noun

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

Further reading

• Template:R:PSJC
• Template:R:SSJC

---

Estonian

Etymology

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

Noun

frank (genitive [please provide], partitive [please provide])

1. franc

Declension

This noun needs an inflection-table template.

---

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 (not comparable)

1. (archaic) frank

Usage notes

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

Further reading

• “frank” in Duden online

---

Polish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fraŋk/

• Audio

  (file)

Noun

1. franc

Usage notes

Unqualified modern usage typically refers to the Swiss franc.

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