frank definition | Dictionary.com

frank

1 [frangk]

adjective, -er, -est, noun, verb

–adjective

1.	direct and unreserved in speech; straightforward; sincere: Her criticism of my work was frank but absolutely fair.

2.	without inhibition or subterfuge; direct; undisguised: a frank appeal for financial aid.

3.	Pathology. unmistakable; clinically evident: frank blood.

4.	Archaic. liberal or generous.

5.	Obsolete. free.

–noun

6.	a signature or mark affixed by special privilege to a letter, package, or the like to ensure its transmission free of charge, as by mail.

7.	the privilege of franking letters, packages, etc.

8.	a franked letter, package, etc.

–verb (used with object)

9.	to mark (a letter, package, etc.) for transmission free of the usual charge, by virtue of official or special privilege; send free of charge, as mail.

10.	to convey (a person) free of charge.

11.	to enable to pass or go freely: to frank a visitor through customs.

12.	to facilitate the comings and goings of (a person), esp. in society: A sizable inheritance will frank you faster than anything else.

13.	to secure exemption for.

14.	Carpentry. to assemble (millwork, as sash bars) with a miter joint through the moldings and a butt joint or mortise-and-tenon joint for the rest.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME < OF franc < LL francus free, orig. Frank

Related forms:

frank⋅a⋅ble, adjective

franker, noun

Synonyms:
1. unrestrained, free, bold, uninhibited. Frank, candid, open, outspoken imply a freedom and boldness in speaking. Frank is applied to one unreserved in expressing the truth and to one's real opinions and sentiments: a frank analysis of a personal problem. Candid suggests that one is sincere and truthful or impartial and fair in judgment, sometimes unpleasantly so: a candid expression of opinion. Open implies a lack of reserve or of concealment: open antagonism. Outspoken applies to a person who expresses himself or herself freely, even when this is inappropriate: an outspoken and unnecessary show of disapproval.

Antonyms:
1. restrained.

frank

2 [frangk]

–noun Informal.

frankfurter.

Origin:
1900–05, Americanism; by shortening

Frank

[frangk]

–noun

1.	a member of a group of ancient Germanic peoples dwelling in the regions of the Rhine, one division of whom, the Salians, conquered Gaul about a.d. 500, founded an extensive kingdom, and gave origin to the name France.

2.	(in the Levant) any native of western Europe.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME Franke, OE Franca (c. OHG Franko), perh. from the Gmc base of OE franka spear, javelin, a weapon allegedly favored by the Franks

Frank

[frangk, frahngk; Russ., frahnk; Ger. frahngk]

–noun

1.	Anne, 1929–45, German Jewish girl who died in Belsen concentration camp in Germany: her diaries about her family hiding from Nazis in Amsterdam (1942–44) published in 1947.

2.	Il⋅ya Mi⋅khai⋅lo⋅vich [ee-lyah myi-khahy--luh-vyich] Show IPA , 1908–90, Russian physicist: Nobel prize 1958.

3.	Le⋅on⋅hard [ley-awn-hahrt] Show IPA , 1882–1961, German novelist.

4.	Robert, born 1924, U.S. photographer and filmmaker, born in Switzerland.

5.	Waldo, 1889–1967, U.S. novelist and social critic.

6.	a male given name, form of Francis or Franklin.

Frank.

Frankish.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To frank

frank¹ (frāngk)

adj. frank·er, frank·est

Open and sincere in expression; straightforward: made several frank remarks about the quality of their work.
Clearly manifest; evident: frank enjoyment.

tr.v. franked, frank·ing, franks

1. To put an official mark on (a piece of mail) so that it can be sent free of charge.
2. To send (mail) free of charge.
To place a stamp or mark on (a piece of mail) to show the payment of postage.
To enable (a person) to come and go freely.

1. A mark or signature placed on a piece of mail to indicate the right to send it free of charge.
2. The right to send mail free.
A franked piece of mail.

[Middle English, free, from Old French franc, from Late Latin Francus, Frank; see Frank.]
frank'ness n.

Synonyms: These adjectives mean revealing or disposed to reveal one's thoughts freely and honestly. Frank implies forthrightness, sometimes to the point of bluntness: "Be calm and frank, and confess at once all that weighs on your heart" (Emily Brontë).
Candid often suggests refusal to evade difficult or unpleasant issues: "Save, save, oh save me from the candid friend!" (George Canning).
Outspoken usually implies bold lack of reserve: The outspoken activist protested the budget cuts.
Straightforward denotes directness of manner and expression: "George was a straightforward soul....'See here!' he said. 'Are you engaged to anybody?'" (Booth Tarkington).
Open suggests freedom from all trace of reserve or secretiveness: "I will be open and sincere with you" (Joseph Addison).

frank² (frāngk)

n. Informal
A frankfurter.

Frank (frāngk)

n. A member of one of the Germanic tribes of the Rhine region in the early Christian era, especially one of the Salian Franks who conquered Gaul about A.D. 500 and established an extensive empire that reached its greatest power in the ninth century.

[Middle English, from Old English Franca and Old French Franc, both from Late Latin Francus, of Germanic origin.]

Frank (frāngk, frängk)

German Jewish diarist who fled from Nazi Germany to Amsterdam with her family (1933) and kept a diary during her years in hiding (1942-1944). She and her family were captured (August 1944) and sent to concentration camps. Anne died of typhus in the camp at Belsen. Her diary was published in 1947.

Frank, Robert Born 1924.
Swiss-born American photographer and filmmaker noted for his clear-cut documentary style and interest in popular culture.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source

Frank

Frank\, n. [OF. franc.] A pigsty. [Obs.]

Frank

Frank\, v. t. To shut up in a frank or sty; to pen up; hence, to cram; to fatten. [Obs.] --Shak.

Frank

Frank\, n. (Zo["o]l.) The common heron; -- so called from its note. [Prov. Eng.]

Frank

Frank\, a. [Compar Franker; superl. Frankest.] [F. franc free, frank, L. Francus a Frank, fr. OHG. Franko the name of a Germanic people on the Rhine, who afterward founded the French monarchy; cf. AS. franca javelin, Icel. frakka. Cf. Franc, French, a., Franchise, n.]

1. Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.; free. [R.] "It is of frank gift." --Spenser.

2. Free in uttering one's real sentiments; not reserved; using no disguise; candid; ingenuous; as, a frank nature, conversation, manner, etc.

3. Liberal; generous; profuse. [Obs.]

Frank of civilities that cost them nothing. --L'Estrange.

4. Unrestrained; loose; licentious; -- used in a bad sense. --Spenser.

Syn: Ingenuous; candid; artless; plain; open; unreserved; undisguised; sincere. See Candid, Ingenuous.

Frank

Frank\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Franked; p. pr. & vb. n. Franking.]

1. To send by public conveyance free of expense. --Dickens.

2. To extempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc.

Frank

Frank\, n. [See Frank, a.] The privilege of sending letters or other mail matter, free of postage, or without charge; also, the sign, mark, or signature denoting that a letter or other mail matter is to free of postage.

I have said so much, that, if I had not a frank, I must burn my letter and begin again. --Cowper.

Frank

Frank\, n. [Cf. F. franc. See Frank, a.]

1. (Ethnol.) A member of one of the German tribes that in the fifth century overran and conquered Gaul, and established the kingdom of France.

2. A native or inhabitant of Western Europe; a European; -- a term used in the Levant.

3. A French coin. See Franc.

Language Translation for : frank

Spanish: franco,

German: offen,

Japanese: 率直な

More Translations »

frank

c.1300, from O.Fr. franc "free, sincere, genuine," from M.L. Franc "a freeman, a Frank," one of the Gmc. people that conquered Celtic Gaul from the Romans c.500 C.E. and called it France, from Frankish *Frank (cf. O.H.G. Franko, O.E. Franca). The connection is that only Franks, as the conquering class, had the status of freemen. Sense of "outspoken" first recorded in Eng. 1548 (frankly in this sense is from c.1540). The origin of the ethnic name is uncertain; it traditionally is said to be from the old Gmc. word *frankon "javelin, lance" (cf. O.E. franca; also Saxon, traditionally from root of O.E. seax "knife"), their preferred weapon, but the opposite may be the case. In the Levant, this was the name given to anyone of Western nationality (cf. Feringhee). Verbal sense of "to free a letter for carriage or an article for publication" (1708) is from Fr. affranchir, from the same source.

Main Entry: frank
Pronunciation: 'fra[ng]k
Function: adjective
: clinically evident <frank pus> <frank gout>

frank (frānk)
adj. frank·er, frank·est
Clearly manifest; clinically evident.

FRANK
["Using BINS for Interprocess Communication", P.C.J. Graham, SIGPLAN Notices 20(2):32-41 (Feb 1985)].
(1995-01-13)

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