Definition of FRISK

frisk

Plural: frisks

Noun

  • the act of searching someone for concealed weapons or illegal drugs
    • "he gave the suspect a quick frisk"
  • A little playful skip or leap; a brisk and lively movement.
  • The act of frisking, of searching for something by feeling someone's body.

Verb

Verb Forms: frisked, frisking, frisks

  • To move or leap about playfully; to search someone.
  • play boisterously
  • search as for concealed weapons by running the hands rapidly over the clothing and through the pockets
    • "The police frisked everyone at the airport"
  • To frolic, gambol, skip, dance, leap.
  • To search (someone) by feeling their body and clothing.
  • To search (a place).

Adj

  • Lively; brisk.

Examples

  • Furniture was tipped over and drawers pulled out. Someone had obviously frisked the joint before we arrived.
  • The customs officer gave me a frisk after I went through the metal detector.
  • The player would often frisk through their tiles, hoping for a high-scoring combination.
  • The police frisked the suspiciously-acting individual and found a knife as well as a bag of marijuana.

Origin / Etymology

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.

Synonyms

cavort, disport, frisking, frolic, gambol, lark, lark about, rollick, romp, run around, skylark, sport, frisking#Noun, frisky, frolicsome, pat down, patdown#Noun

Scrabble Score: 12

frisk: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
frisk: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
frisk: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 12

frisk: valid Words With Friends Word