FRANK

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Frank mean? 

• FRANK (noun)
  The noun FRANK has 2 senses:

1. a member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century

2. a smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll

  Familiarity information: FRANK used as a noun is rare.

• FRANK (adjective)
  The adjective FRANK has 2 senses:

1. characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

2. clearly manifest; evident

  Familiarity information: FRANK used as an adjective is rare.

• FRANK (verb)
  The verb FRANK has 2 senses:

1. stamp with a postmark to indicate date and time of mailing

2. exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks

  Familiarity information: FRANK used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FRANK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A member of the ancient Germanic peoples who spread from the Rhine into the Roman Empire in the 4th century

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Frank" is a kind of...):

European (a native or inhabitant of Europe)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Frank"):

Salian; Salian Frank (a member of the tribe of Franks who settled in the Netherlands in the 4th century AD)

Instance hyponyms:

Clovis; Clovis I (king of the Franks who unified Gaul and established his capital at Paris and founded the Frankish monarchy; his name was rendered as Gallic 'Louis' (466-511))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A smooth-textured sausage of minced beef or pork usually smoked; often served on a bread roll

Classified under:

Nouns denoting foods and drinks

Synonyms:

dog; frank; frankfurter; hot dog; hotdog; weenie; wiener; wienerwurst

Hypernyms ("frank" is a kind of...):

sausage (highly seasoned minced meat stuffed in casings)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "frank"):

Vienna sausage (short slender frankfurter usually with ends cut off)

Holonyms ("frank" is a part of...):

hot dog; hotdog; red hot (a frankfurter served hot on a bun)

• FRANK (adjective)

Comparative: franker   
Superlative: frankest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion

Synonyms:

blunt; candid; forthright; frank; free-spoken; outspoken; plainspoken; point-blank; straight-from-the-shoulder

Context example:

a point-blank accusation

Similar:

direct (straightforward in means or manner or behavior or language or action)

Derivation:

frankness (the trait of being blunt and outspoken)

frankness (the quality of being honest and straightforward in attitude and speech)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Clearly manifest; evident

Context example:

frank enjoyment

Similar:

obvious (easily perceived by the senses or grasped by the mind)

• FRANK (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they frank    ... he / she / it franks   
Past simple: franked   
Past participle: franked   
-ing form: franking   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Stamp with a postmark to indicate date and time of mailing

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

frank; postmark

Hypernyms (to "frank" is one way to...):

stamp (to mark, or produce an imprint in or on something)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

Exempt by means of an official pass or letter, as from customs or other checks

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "frank" is one way to...):

excuse; exempt; let off; relieve (grant exemption or release to)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

 Context examples 

A moody smile that had overspread his features cleared off as he said this merrily, and he was his own frank, winning self again.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

He needs someone to look after him when Frank is not with him.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

"That's frank anyhow," broke in Quincey.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Frank said that he would go and make his pile, too, and never come back to claim me until he had as much as Pa.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

My instincts are all against a woman being too frank and at her ease with me.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It would have been easy for him to get out of it; but his natural impulse was for frankness, and he remembered his old resolve to be frank, no matter what happened.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Cells may spread into the Virchow-Robin spaces without frank invasion of the brain.

(Diffuse Melanocytosis, NCI Thesaurus/WHO)

“It is well, then that we should be frank,” said the other.

(The Strange Case Of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson)

Yet it sent the blood to his temples again, and he wondered, as he turned away, what the Abbot Berghersh would have answered to so frank an invitation.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

But I have reasons to suppose that this opinion would be very much more frank and valuable if he imagines that we are alone.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)