frisk

[ frisk ]

verb (used without object)

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

   The dogs and children frisked about on the lawn.

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

/ 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

noun

1. a playful antic or movement; frolic
2. the act or an instance of frisking a person

Derived Forms

• ˈfriskingly, adverb
• ˈfrisker, noun

Other Words From

• frisker noun
• frisking·ly adverb
• un·frisking adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of frisk¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of frisk¹

C16: from Old French frisque , of Germanic origin; related to Old High German frisc lively, fresh

Example Sentences

Among those, there were more than 90 instances where people lost money or cars, taken most often during traffic stops, frisks and home searches — even though there weren’t related drug convictions or drug charges.

From ProPublica

“It’s an incredibly important part of our future,” Frisk said of the company’s connected shoes.

From Fortune

Another issue was stop and frisk, which the police had been using to keep shootings down.

From The Daily Beast

When being processed into solitary confinement, known as the Special Housing Unit, or SHU, the frisk is even more severe.

From The Daily Beast

“We will reform a broken stop-and-frisk policy to protect the dignity and rights of young men of color,” he bellowed.

From The Daily Beast

The reason was simple, stop-and-frisk was the high profile cause that grabbed headlines.

From The Daily Beast

The official compared the change in intelligence strategy to the shift in “stop, question, and frisk” tactics in the street.

From The Daily Beast

But Tidy was foolish and proud, and, the next time he went out, he began to frisk about very gayly.

From Project Gutenberg

Would that we were like unto these ewe lambs, that we might frisk and gambol among them without evil.

From Project Gutenberg

When grandpa bought Oliver he carried him home between his knees in the carriage, while he drove Frisk, the pony.

From Project Gutenberg

Oh, what a fine view Jimmie had, but he didn't dare frisk around as Billie and Johnnie did, for he was a trifle dizzy.

From Project Gutenberg

Is not this like telling a sick man to get well, or a decrepit old creature to skip and frisk like a child?

From Project Gutenberg