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frisk

UK/fɹɪsk/ US/ˈfrɪsk/ uncommon archaic
noun (1) verb (2)

noun

1.

the act of searching someone for concealed weapons or illegal drugs

  • “he gave the suspect a quick frisk”
Synonyms

verb

1.

play boisterously

  • “The children frolicked in the garden”
  • “the gamboling lambs in the meadows”
  • “The toddlers romped in the playroom”
Synonyms
2.

search as for concealed weapons by running the hands rapidly over the clothing and through the pockets

  • “The police frisked everyone at the airport”

Origin

From Middle English frisk (“lively, frisky”), from Middle French frisque (“lively, jolly, blithe, fine, spruce, gay”), of Germanic origin, perhaps from Middle Dutch frisc (“fresh”) or Old High German frisc (“fresh”), ultimately from Proto-Germanic *friskaz (“fresh”). Cognate with Icelandic frískur (“frisky, fresh”). Doublet of fresco and fresh. More at fresh. Alternative etymology derives frisk from an alteration (due to Old French fresche (“fresh”)) of Old French fricque, frique (“smart, strong, playful, bright”), from Gothic *𐍆𐍂𐌹𐌺𐍃 (*friks, “greedy, hungry”), from Proto-Germanic *frekaz, *frakaz (“greedy, active”), from Proto-Indo-European *preg- (“greedy, fierce”). Cognate with Middle Dutch vrec (“greedy, avaricious”), German frech (“insolent”), Old English frec (“greedy, eager, bold, daring, dangerous”). More at freak.

Phrases

  • frisk someone's cly

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.