# frank
## English
### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fɹæŋk/, /fɹeɪŋk/
* Audio (US):(file)
* Rhymes: -æŋk
* Homophones: franc, Frank

### 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 *frankō (“javelin, spear”). Doublet of Frank, franc, and farang.

#### 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.
** 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Prosopopoia. Or Mother Hubberds Tale.”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:It is of frank gift.
* (obsolete) Liberal; generous; profuse.
** 1692, Roger L’Estrange, “ (please specify the fable number.) (please specify the name of the fable.)”, in Fables, of Æsop and Other Eminent Mythologists: […], London: […] R[ichard] Sare, […], →OCLC:Frank of Civilities that cost them nothing.
* (obsolete, derogatory) Unrestrained; loose; licentious.
** 1591, Ed[mund] Sp[enser], “Muiopotmos, or The Fate of the Butterflie”, in Complaints. Containing Sundrie Small Poemes of the Worlds Vanitie. […], London: […] William Ponsonbie, […], →OCLC:Over the fields, in his franke lustinesse, And all the champain o're he soared light.

##### Derived terms

* frank bank
* frank-fee
* frankly
* frank-marriage
* frankness
* frankpledge
* franksome
* overfrank
* to be frank
* unfrank

##### Translations
#### 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

frank (third-person singular simple present franks, present participle franking, simple past and past participle franked)
* (transitive) To place a frank on an envelope.
** 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter 20, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] 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?
* (transitive) To exempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc.
* (transitive) 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.

##### Derived terms

* frankable
* overfrank
* prefranked
* unfranked

##### Translations
#### See also

* prepay

### Etymology 2

Clipping of frankfurter.

#### 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

* ballpark frank
* cocktail frank

##### See also

* sav
* savaloy

### 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[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]: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

* IPA: [ˈfraŋk]
* Rhymes: -aŋk

### 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 (in Czech), 1935–1957
* “frank”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989

## Dutch
### Alternative forms

* vrank (archaic, except in the expression vrank en vrij)

### Etymology

From Middle Dutch vranc.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /frɑŋk/
* Audio:(file)
* Hyphenation: frank
* Rhymes: -ɑŋk
* Homophone: Frank

### Adjective

frank (comparative franker, superlative frankst)
* frank, candid, blunt, open-hearted
* (dated) cheeky, brazen

#### Derived terms

* frank en vrij

## 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

* frank in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)

## German
### Etymology

From Middle High German franc, from Old French franc (“free”), of Germanic but eventually uncertain origin.

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /fʁaŋk/
* Audio:(file)

### 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
### Further reading

* “frank” in Duden online
* “frank” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache

## Hungarian
### Pronunciation

* IPA: [ˈfrɒŋk]
* Rhymes: -ɒŋk

### Etymology 1
#### Adjective

frank (not comparable)
* Frankish (of or pertaining to the Franks)
* Frankish (in or of the language of the Franks)
* Franconian (of or relating to Franconia (a region in Bavaria) or its inhabitants)
    Synonym: frankföldi
* Franconian (of or related to their language)
* (rare, archaic) French (of or relating to France, their people, culture, or language)
    Synonym: francia

##### Declension
#### Noun

frank (countable and uncountable, plural frankok)
* Frank (Frankish person)
* Frankish (Frankish language)
* Franconian (a native or inhabitant of Franconia)
    Synonym: frankföldi
* Franconian (their language)
* (archaic) French person (Frenchman/Frenchwoman) or their language
    Synonym: (both senses) francia

##### Derived terms

* frankos → kékfrankos
* Frankföld
* Frankhon

##### Related terms

* franc
* francia
* franko and frankó
* frankofón
* frankomán
* lingua franca

### Etymology 2
#### Noun

frank (plural frankok)
* franc (current Swiss and other national currency or former French, Belgian, or Luxembourgish currency)

##### Derived terms

* frankos

### Further reading

* (people or language): frank in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN
* (currency): frank in Bárczi, Géza and László Országh. A magyar nyelv értelmező szótára (“The Explanatory Dictionary of the Hungarian Language”, abbr.: ÉrtSz.). Budapest: Akadémiai Kiadó, 1959–1962. Fifth ed., 1992: →ISBN

## Indonesian
### Noun

frank (plural frank-frank)
* 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

* IPA: /ˈfraŋk/
* Audio:(file)
* Rhymes: -aŋk
* Syllabification: frank
* Homophone: Frank

### 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)

#### Derived terms

* frankowy

#### Related terms

* frankijski
* frankoński
* Frank
* Frankonia
* Frankonka
* Frankończyk

### Further reading

* frank in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
* frank in Polish dictionaries at PWN