[frangk-lin] 
| (in the 14th and 15th centuries) a freeholder who was not of noble birth. |
[frangk-lin] | 1. | A⋅re⋅tha [uh-ree-thuh] , born 1942, U.S. singer. |
| 2. | Benjamin, 1706–90, American statesman, diplomat, author, scientist, and inventor. |
| 3. | Sir John, 1786–1847, English Arctic explorer. |
| 4. | John Hope, born 1915, U.S. historian and educator. |
| 5. | a district in extreme N Canada, in the Northwest Territories, including the Boothia and Melville peninsulas, Baffin Island, and other Arctic islands. 549,253 sq. mi. (1,422,565 sq. km). |
| 6. | a town in S Massachusetts. 18,217. |
| 7. | a city in SE Wisconsin. 16,871. |
| 8. | a town in central Tennessee. 12,407. |
| 9. | a town in central Indiana. 11,563. |
| 10. | a town in SW Ohio. 10,711. |
| 11. | a male given name: from a Germanic word meaning “freeholder.” |
| frank·lin (frāng'klĭn) n. A medieval English freeholder of nonnoble birth holding extensive property. [Middle English frankelein, from Anglo-Norman fraunclein, from Anglo-Norman franc; see frank1.] |
| Frank·lin (frāngk'lĭn) American singer known for her recordings of soul and gospel music. Her popular songs include "Respect" (1967) and "Chain of Fools" (1968). |
| Franklin, Benjamin 1706-1790. American public official, writer, scientist, and printer. After the success of his Poor Richard's Almanac (1732-1757), he entered politics and played a major part in the American Revolution. Franklin negotiated French support for the colonists, signed the Treaty of Paris (1783), and helped draft the Constitution (1787-1789). His numerous scientific and practical innovations include the lightning rod, bifocal spectacles, and a stove. |
| Franklin, Sir John 1786-1847. British explorer who led a search for the Northwest Passage (1845-1847) on which he and his 129-man crew perished. A record of the expedition's discovery of the passage was found in 1857. |
| Franklin, John Hope Born 1915. American historian noted for his studies of African-American history, such as From Slavery to Freedom (1947). |
| Franklin, Rosalind Elsie 1920-1958. British x-ray crystallographer whose studies of DNA provided crucial information that led to the discovery of its spiral structure by Francis Crick and James D. Watson. |
Franklin Frank·lin (frāngk'lĭn), Rosalind. 1920-1958.
British biophysicist. Her x-ray diffraction studies of DNA led to the description of the full structure of DNA by James Watson and Francis Crick.
