Frisk

Pronunciation

• IPA: /fɹɪsk/
• Rhymes: -ɪsk

Origin

From Middle English frisk, from Old French frisque ("lively, jolly, blithe, fine, spruce, gay"), of 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"). 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 (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.

Adjective

adjective

1. Lively; brisk; frolicsome; frisky.

Full definition of frisk

Noun

1. A frolic; a fit of wanton gaiety; a gambol: a little playful skip or leap.

Verb

1. To frolic, gambol, skip, dance, leap.
2. To search somebody by feeling his or her body and clothing.The police frisked the suspiciously-acting individual and found a knife as well as a bag of marijuana.

Derived terms

• stop-and-frisk

Usage notes

The term frisk is slightly less formal than search.

Anagrams

• firks