franks
franks Lexical Profile
franks Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American Plural form of frank: smoked, seasoned sausages made of beef or pork, typically served in a long split roll; frankfurters or hot dogs.
"We grilled a dozen beef franks and served them with mustard and relish at the neighborhood picnic."
A coalition of Germanic tribes originating along the Rhine River that conquered Roman Gaul in the fifth and sixth centuries and established the medieval Frankish Empire across western and central Europe (usually capitalized as Franks).
"Under the rule of Charlemagne, the Franks united much of western Europe and laid the foundations for modern France and Germany."
Plural form of frank: official marks, stamps, or signatures on letters or parcels indicating that postage has been paid or does not need to be paid.
"Collectors of postal history carefully examine nineteenth-century envelopes for rare congressional franks."
• verb
To stamp or mark an official signature or postmark on (a letter or parcel) to indicate that postage has been paid or is not required (third-person singular simple present).
"The mailroom machine automatically franks hundreds of outgoing envelopes every hour."
• Rhymes for franks
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The culinary sense is shortened from 'frankfurter', named after the city of Frankfurt, Germany, while the postal and historical senses derive via Old French 'franc' from Late Latin 'Francus', referring to the Germanic tribe whose members held the status of free citizens in Merovingian Gaul.