Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Synonyms
Nearby Words

frisk

 - 4 dictionary results
Fitness Books on Sale Now
Frisk Order today for $2.95 shipping.
Overstock.com

frisk

  [frisk]
Use frisk in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. to dance, leap, skip, or gambol; frolic: The dogs and children frisked about on the lawn.
–verb (used with object)
2. to search (a person) for concealed weapons, contraband goods, etc., by feeling the person's clothing: The police frisked both of the suspects.
–noun
3. a leap, skip, or caper.
4. a frolic or gambol.
5. the act of frisking a person.
Origin:
1425–75; late ME, as adj. < MF frisque, perh. a sp. var. (with mute s) of fri(c)que lively, smart < Gmc (cf. MD vrec, OHG freh avaricious, MHG vrech brave, G frech insolent); or < MF (Flanders) frisque < MD frisc fresh

Related forms:
frisker, noun
frisk⋅ing⋅ly, adverb
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To frisk
Fitness Books on Sale Now
Frisk Order today for $2.95 shipping.
Overstock.com
frisk   (frĭsk)   
v.   frisked, frisk·ing, frisks

v.   intr.
To move about briskly and playfully; frolic.
v.   tr.
To search (a person) for something concealed, especially a weapon, by passing the hands quickly over clothes or through pockets.
n.  

  1. An energetic, playful movement; a gambol.

  2. The act of frisking.


[From Middle English frisk, lively, from Old French frisque, of Germanic origin.]
frisk'er n.
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
Word Origin & History

frisk 
1519, "to dance, frolic," from M.Fr. frisque "lively, brisk," possibly from a Gmc. source (cf. M.Du. vrisch "fresh"). Sense of "pat down in a search" first recorded 1781. Frisky first recorded 1500.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: frisk
Function: transitive verb
: to run the hand rapidly over the outer clothing of (a suspect) for the purpose of finding concealed weapons —compare SEARCH
NOTE: The purpose of frisking a suspect is to insure the safety of an officer making an investigation against concealed weapons, not to uncover evidence. The officer must be justified in his or her encounter of the suspect and must have a reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed. The scope of the frisk must be limited to the discovery of weapons. —frisk noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see frisk on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way