frisk

American  

[frisk] / frɪsk /

verb (used without object)

1. to dance, leap, skip, or gambol; frolic.

   The dogs and children frisked about on the lawn.

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verb (used with object)

1. to search (a person) for concealed weapons, contraband goods, etc., by feeling the person's clothing.

   The police frisked both of the suspects.

noun

1. a leap, skip, or caper.

2. a frolic or gambol.

3. the act of frisking a person.

frisk British  

/ frɪsk /

verb

1. (intr) to leap, move about, or act in a playful manner; frolic

2. (tr) (esp of animals) to whisk or wave briskly

   the dog frisked its tail

3. (tr)

   1. to search (someone) by feeling for concealed weapons, etc

   2. to rob by searching in this way

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noun

1. a playful antic or movement; frolic

2. the act or an instance of frisking a person

Other Word Forms

• frisker noun
• friskingly adverb
• unfrisking adjective

Etymology

Origin of frisk

1425–75; late Middle English, as adj. < Middle French frisque, perhaps a spelling variant (with mute s ) of fri ( c ) que lively, smart < Germanic (compare Middle Dutch vrec, Old High German freh avaricious, Middle High German vrech brave, German frech insolent); or < Middle French (Flanders) frisque < Middle Dutch frisc fresh

Explanation

To frisk someone is to search them, usually for weapons. It’s typical for a crime show to portray a police officer frisking a suspect. The purpose of frisking is to find out if someone is carrying a particular kind of item. The person doing the frisking may be looking for weapons or a recording device. Another meaning of frisk is more light-hearted: “to play in an enthusiastic manner.” Kids running around a playground are frisking. If you say there’s frisking going on in a nearby park, you might want to clarify which meaning you’re indicating.

Example Sentences

As the officers patted down Flores, the lights on the Nissan blinked — which they assumed was because their frisk had pushed a key fob in Flores’ possession.

From Los Angeles Times • May 3, 2024

White was with the unit because she could do things — such as frisk women wearing burqas — that men couldn’t.

From Washington Post • Jan. 26, 2023

He began his career as a lawyer before being elected to the New York state legislature, where he championed affordable housing and worked on policing issues, notably the controversial practice known as "stop and frisk."

From Reuters • Nov. 18, 2022

When I visited this May, I was able to walk straight into The main building without having to state my business or undergo more than a light frisk.

From New York Times • Aug. 8, 2022

The frisk of our second cell, which belonged to a skinny, middle-aged man, was also uneventful.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover