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, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Pronunciation
Etymology 1
From Middle English frank , from Old French franc ( “ free ” ) , in turn from the name of an early Germanic confederation, the Franks , from Proto-West Germanic *frank ( “ courageous, free ” ) and/or Proto-West Germanic *frankō ( “ javelin, spear ” ) .
Adjective
frank (comparative franker , superlative frankest )
honest , especially in a manner that seems slightly blunt ; candid ; not reserved or disguised.
May I be frank with you?
( medicine ) unmistakable, clinically obvious , self-evident
The research probes whether treating pre-diabetes with metformin can prevent progression to frank diabetes.
( obsolete ) Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.; free.
( obsolete ) Liberal; generous; profuse.
( obsolete , derogatory ) Unrestrained; loose; licentious.
Derived terms
Translations
bluntly honest
Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Armenian: please add this translation if you can
Belarusian: шчы́ры (be) ( ščýry ) , адкры́ты (be) ( adkrýty )
Bulgarian: и́скрен (bg) ( ískren )
Catalan: franc (ca)
Chinese:
Cantonese: please add this translation if you can
Mandarin: 坦誠 / 坦诚 (zh) ( tǎnchéng ) , 真誠 / 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
Georgian: please add this translation if you can
German: ehrlich (de) , offen (de) , aufrichtig (de)
Greek: please add this translation if you can
Hebrew: כן (he) ( ken ) , גלוי-לב ( glúi-lev )
Hungarian: nyílt (hu) , őszinte (hu)
Icelandic: please add this translation if you can
Irish: oscailteach
Japanese: please add this translation if you can
Khmer: please add this translation if you can
Korean: please add this translation if you can
Latvian: atklāts
Lithuanian: please add this translation if you can
Macedonian: искрен ( iskren )
Maori: māhorahora
Norman: franc
Norwegian: frank
Polish: szczery (pl) , otwarty (pl)
Portuguese: franco (pt)
Romanian: franc (ro) , sincer (ro)
Russian: открове́нный (ru) ( otkrovénnyj ) , и́скренний (ru) ( ískrennij ) , откры́тый (ru) ( otkrýtyj )
Sanskrit: ऋजु (sa) ( ṛju )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: искрен
Roman: iskren (sh)
Slovak: úprimný
Slovene: odkrit , iskren (sl)
Spanish: franco (es)
Swedish: uppriktig (sv) , rättfram (sv)
Tagalog: prangka
Thai: please add this translation if you can
Turkish: please add this translation if you can
Ukrainian: щи́рий ( ščýryj ) , відве́ртий ( vidvértyj )
Vietnamese: please add this translation if you can
Volapük: stedälik (vo)
Noun
frank (plural franks )
( uncountable ) Free postage , a right exercised by governments (usually with definite article).
October 5, 1780 , William Cowper , letter to Rev. William Unwin
I have said so much, that, if I had not a frank , I must burn my letter and begin again.
( countable ) The notice on an envelope where a stamp would normally be found.
1842 , [anonymous collaborator of Letitia Elizabeth Landon ], “(please specify the page) ”, in Lady Anne Granard; or, Keeping up Appearances. , volume II, London: Henry Colburn , , →OCLC , pages 178–179 :But, although her friends were kind, Lady Anne was not easy; neither daughter made her appearance, nor did she receive a letter to account for their silence. She remembered, indeed, that Charles Penrhyn could not get franks now, and her daughters knew she would not pay postage; and she had commanded Helen to work night and day, saying, "surely they can give her common materials."
Verb
US franking mark
frank (third-person singular simple present franks , present participle franking , simple past and past participle franked )
To place a frank on an envelope.
1811 , [Jane Austen ], chapter 20, in Sense and Sensibility , volumes (please specify |volume=I to III) , London: C Roworth, , and published by T Egerton , , →OCLC :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?
To exempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc.
To send by public conveyance free of expense.
1850-1859 , Charles Dickens , Household Words
This required extensive correspondence; so, in the next place, the privilege of franking letters in reference to the emigrants' registration office, was obtained—much to the indignation of red tapists.
Translations
to place a frank on an envelope
See also
Etymology 2
Clipping of frankfurter .
A frank on a bun.
Noun
frank (plural franks )
A hot dog or sausage .
Synonyms: frankfurt , frankfurter
Buy a package of franks for the barbecue.
1957 , Jack Kerouac , chapter 1, in On the Road , Viking Press, →OCLC , part 1:We had a farewell meal of franks and beans in a Seventh Avenue Riker’s, and then Dean got on the bus that said Chicago and roared off into the night.
1978 , Superman: The Movie , spoken by Perry White (Jackie Cooper ):I want the name of this flying whatchamacallit to go with the Daily Planet like bacon and eggs, franks and beans, death and taxes, politics and corruption!
1988 June 28, “Cold Lampin' With Flavor” (track 4), in It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back , performed by Public Enemy :I'm in my Flavmobile cold lamping. I took a G upstate cold camping. To the Poconos, we call a hideaways. A bag of franks and a bag of Frito-Lays.
Derived terms
See also
Etymology 3
Noun
frank (plural franks )
( UK ) The grey heron .
Etymology 4
From Old French franc .
Noun
frank (plural franks )
A pigsty .
Verb
frank (third-person singular simple present franks , present participle franking , simple past and past participle franked )
To shut up in a frank or sty; to pen up; hence, to cram; to fatten.
c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare , “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: ”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio ), London: Isaac Iaggard , and Ed Blount , published 1623 , →OCLC , :Marry, as for Clarence, he is well repaid; He is franked up to fatting for his pains
Etymology 5
From French franc .
Noun
frank (plural franks )
( historical ) Obsolete form of franc , former French coins , moneys of account , and currency .
1771 , Encyclopaedia Britannica , 1st ed. , Vol. II, p. 630:
Frank , or Franc , an ancient coin, either of gold or ſilver , ſtruck and current in France. The value of the gold frank was ſomewhat more than that of the gold crown; the ſilver frank was a third of the gold one; this coin is long out of uſe , though the term is ſtill retained as the name of a money of account ; in which ſenſe it is equivalent to the livre , or twenty ſols .
Czech
Pronunciation
Noun
frank m inan
franc ( former currency of France and some other countries )
franc ( any of several units of currency such as Swiss franc )
Declension
This noun needs an inflection-table template .
Further reading
frank in Příruční slovník jazyka českého , 1935–1957
frank in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého , 1960–1971, 1989
Dutch
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle Dutch vranc .
Pronunciation
Adjective
frank (comparative franker , superlative frankst )
frank , candid , blunt , open-hearted
( dated ) cheeky , brazen
Inflection
Derived terms
Estonian
Etymology 1
German Franc .
Noun
frank (genitive frangi , partitive franki )
franc
Declension
Etymology 2
(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium .)
Noun
frank (genitive frangi , partitive franki )
Frank ( Frankish person )
Declension
Further reading
German
Etymology
From Middle High German franc , from Old French franc ( “ free ” ) , of Germanic but eventually uncertain origin.
Pronunciation
Adjective
frank (strong nominative masculine singular franker , not comparable )
( archaic ) frank
Usage notes
Now almost exclusively used in the (also somewhat dated) expression frank und frei .
Declension
Positive forms of frank (uncomparable )
Further reading
“frank ” in Duden online
“frank ” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
Indonesian
Noun
frank (first-person possessive frankku , second-person possessive frankmu , third-person possessive franknya )
frank (coin)
Polish
Etymology
Borrowed from French franc , from Middle French franc , from Medieval Latin Franc , from Frankish *frankō ( “ a Frank ” ) . Doublet of Frank .
Pronunciation
Noun
frank m animal
( historical ) franc ( former unit of currency of Belgium )
franc ( currency of the Comoros )
( historical ) franc ( former unit of currency of France )
franc ( currency of Liechtenstein )
( historical ) franc ( former unit of currency of Luxembourg )
( historical ) franc ( former unit of currency of Monaco )
franc ( currency of Switzerland )
Declension
Derived terms
Related terms
Further reading
frank in Wielki słownik języka polskiego , Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
frank in Polish dictionaries at PWN