prank
Part of speech: noun
verb
Morphological type: simple
Etymology: Origin uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”), related to German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *pranganą, *prangijaną, *prag- (“to press, squeeze, thring”), from Proto-Indo-European *brengʰ- (“to press, squeeze”). Or, perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *brahtaz, similar to Dutch pracht (“splendor”), Swedish prakt (“glory, pomp”) (loaned from Low German).
Cognate with Middle Low German prunken (“to flaunt”), German prunken (“to flaunt”), Danish prunke (“to make a show, prank”). Sense of "mischievous act" from earlier verbal sense of "to be crafty or subtle, set in order, adjust". See also prink, prance, prong.
Inflected forms:
form: pranks
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: pranks
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: pranking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: pranked
pos: verb
tags: past
form: pranked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: prankt
pos: verb
tags: archaic
participle
past
Senses:
gloss: A practical joke or mischievous trick.
pos: noun
examples: play a prank
pull a prank on someone
He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.
His pranks have been too broad to bear with.
The harpies […] played their accustomed pranks.
gloss: An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.
pos: noun
tags: obsolete
examples: She played a cruel prank on him.
Lilius Geraldus ſaith,that Hercules after all his mad prankes vpon his wife and children, was perfectly cured by a purge of Hellebor,which an Anticyrian adminiſtred vnto him.
gloss: To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: “If someone’s pranking me,” Rowlands remembered thinking, “they’re going to great lengths to make it work.”
gloss: To perform a practical joke on; to trick and make a fool of someone.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
gloss: To call someone's phone and hang up before they answer, so as to send them a notification (of a missed call) without incurring fees.
pos: verb
tags: slang
transitive
examples: Hey man, prank me when you wanna get picked up.
I don't have your number in my phone; can you prank me?
gloss: To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
transitive
examples: In sumptuous tire she ioyd her selfe to prancke
1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, B:II
And there a Seaſon atween June and May,
Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd,
A liſtleſs Climate made, where, Sooth to ſay,
No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.
Flora, wanton-eyed
For birth, and with all flowrets prankt and pied:
gloss: To make an ostentatious show.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: White houses prank where once were huts.
Synonyms: caper
capriccio
curvet
gag
gambade
high jinks
lark
marlock
monkeyshine
practical joke
prank
prat
reak
rag
shenanigan
trick
windup
Related words: bazinga
gotcha
missed call
call collect
caller ID
phreak
Derived words: prankage
prank call
pranker
prankful
prankish
prankless
pranksome
prankster
pranky
prankee
prankingly
Translations:
lang: Afrikaans
word: poets bak
lang: Armenian
word: գժվցնել
roman: gžvcʻnel
lang: Bulgarian
word: занасям
roman: zanasjam
lang: Finnish
word: jekuttaa
lang: German
word: veralbern
lang: German
word: veräppeln
lang: Icelandic
word: hrekkja
lang: Macedonian
word: се ма́јтапи
roman: se májtapi
lang: Macedonian
word: ма́јтапи
roman: májtapi
lang: Māori
word: māminga
lang: Romanian
word: păcăli
lang: Romanian
word: trage pe sfoară
lang: Spanish
word: embromar
lang: Spanish
word: chancear
lang: Spanish
word: guasear
lang: Spanish
word: jaranear
lang: Spanish
word: cabulear
lang: Spanish
word: gastarle una broma a
lang: Swedish
word: busa med
lang: Ottoman Turkish
word: لطیفه ایتمك
roman: latife etmek
lang: Vietnamese
word: chơi khăm
lang: Welsh
word: castio