%frank%

v. t. To shut up in a frank or sty; to pen up; hence, to cram; to fatten. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The common heron; -- so called from its note. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Frank, a. ] The privilege of sending letters or other mail matter, free of postage, or without charge; also, the sign, mark, or signature denoting that a letter or other mail matter is to go free of postage. Called also the franking privilege. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

I have said so much, that, if I had not a frank, I must burn my letter and begin again. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. franc. See Frank, a. ] 1. (Ethnol.) A member of one of the German tribes that in the fifth century overran and conquered Gaul, and established the kingdom of France. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A native or inhabitant of Western Europe; a European; -- a term used in the Levant. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A French coin. See Franc. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. franker superl. frankest. ] [ F. franc free, frank, L. Francus a Frank, fr. OHG. Franko the name of a Germanic people on the Rhine, who afterward founded the French monarchy; cf. AS. franca javelin, Icel. frakka. Cf. Franc, French, a., Franchise, n. ] 1. Unbounded by restrictions, limitations, etc.; free. [ R. ] “It is of frank gift.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Free in uttering one's real sentiments; not reserved; using no disguise; candid; ingenuous; as, a frank nature, conversation, manner, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Liberal; generous; profuse. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Frank of civilities that cost them nothing. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Unrestrained; loose; licentious; -- used in a bad sense. Spenser.

Syn. -- Ingenuous; candid; artless; plain; open; unreserved; undisguised; sincere. See Candid, Ingenuous. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. franked p. pr. & vb. n. franking. ] 1. To send by public conveyance free of expense. Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To extempt from charge for postage, as a letter, package, or packet, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. franc free + Norm. F. almoigne alma, for almosne, F. aumône. See Frank, a., and Almoner. ] (Eng. Law) A tenure by which a religious corporation holds lands given to them and their successors forever, usually on condition of praying for the soul of the donor and his heirs; -- called also tenure by free alms. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Frank free + chase. ] (Eng. Law) The liberty or franchise of having a chase; free chase. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Frank free + fee. ] (Eng. Law) A species of tenure in fee simple, being the opposite of ancient demesne, or copyhold. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

A black pigment used in copperplate printing, prepared by burning vine twigs, the lees of wine, etc. McElrath. [ 1913 Webster ]

A small cooked sausage of beef or beef and pork, usually 5 to 6 inches, sometimes as long as 12 inches in length; called also frankforter, frankfort, frankfurt. It is commonly eaten on a roll, called a hot dog bun.
Syn. -- wiener, hot dog{ 1 }. [ PJC ]

n. [ OF. franc free, pure + encens incense. ] A fragrant, aromatic resin, or gum resin, burned as an incense in religious rites or for medicinal fumigation. The best kinds now come from East Indian trees, of the genus Boswellia; a commoner sort, from the Norway spruce (Abies excelsa) and other coniferous trees. The frankincense of the ancient Jews is still unidentified. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Carp.) A method of forming a joint at the intersection of window-sash bars, by cutting away only enough wood to show a miter. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Like, or pertaining to, the Franks. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Frank free + law. ] (Eng. Law) The liberty of being sworn in courts, as a juror or witness; one of the ancient privileges of a freeman; free and common law; -- an obsolete expression signifying substantially the same as the American expression civil rights. Abbot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. frankelein; cf. LL. franchilanus. See Frank, a. ] An English freeholder, or substantial householder. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The franklin, a small landholder of those days. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Benjamin Franklin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Franklinic electricity, electricity produced by friction; called also static electricity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) A kind of mineral of the spinel group. [ 1913 Webster ]

A kind of open stove introduced by Benjamin Franklin, the peculiar feature of which was that a current of heated air was directly supplied to the room from an air box; -- now applied to other varieties of open stoves. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a frank manner; freely. [ 1913 Webster ]

Very frankly he confessed his treasons. Shak.

Syn. -- Openly; ingenuously; plainly; unreservedly; undisguisedly; sincerely; candidly; artlessly; freely; readily; unhesitatingly; liberally; willingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Frank free + marriage. ] (Eng. Law) A certain tenure in tail special; an estate of inheritance given to a man his wife (the wife being of the blood of the donor), and descendible to the heirs of their two bodies begotten. [ Obs. ] Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being frank; candor; openess; ingenuousness; fairness; liberality. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Frank free + pledge. ] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A pledge or surety for the good behavior of freemen, -- each freeman who was a member of an ancient decennary, tithing, or friborg, in England, being a pledge for the good conduct of the others, for the preservation of the public peace; a free surety. (b) The tithing itself. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

The servants of the crown were not, as now, bound in frankpledge for each other. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]