prank

Definitions  ·  Examples  ·  Pronunciations  ·  Etymologies  ·  Related  ·  Statistics  ·  Comments (2)  · 
“
This prank has been around ever since Post-It Notes were invented.

View all »
Definitions (18)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (3)

  1. noun A mischievous trick or practical joke.
  2. transitive verb To decorate or dress ostentatiously or gaudily.
  3. intransitive verb To make an ostentatious display.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (7)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (4)

Toggle WordNet definitions WordNet (4)

Toggle elsewhere links Elsewhere on the web

View all »
Examples (50)

  • The parties responsible for the prank were never identified or apprehended. —  The Nightmare People
  • Viewed as a prank, the mailbox explosion would be serious enough, but when Sasha discovers that Gabi's home has been vandalized with graffiti that plays on her Iranian heritage, she's ready to consider both events as a hate crime. —  AHMM,June2008
  • Ben thought the prank was actually funny, though he didn't say so. —  Janice Kay Johnson - The Family Next Door
  • On probing he said rather vaguely what the prank was about.
  • Pictures of the prank are available via Likes April Fools Day
More examples »
 

Tags

prank hasn't been tagged yet.

Sign up or sign in to add tags.

Stats

This word has been looked up 102 times.

stop updating
On Twitter

Photos from

flickr images

Add a related word »
Related

Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

Allen's Allen's Synonyms and Antonyms

Used in the same context Used in the Same Context

frolic ·  escapade ·  antics ·  mischief ·  joke ·  whim ·  trick ·  banter ·  freak ·  nonsense ·  mirth ·  grimace

Used in the same contextWord Family

prank:   pranks
Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (2)

  1. Origin unknown.
  2. From Middle English pranken, to show off, perhaps from Middle Dutch pronken (from pronk, show, display) and from Middle Low German prunken (from prank, display).

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (2)

  1. from Middle English pranken, prank, arrange one's dress, = Middle Dutch proncken, pronken, Dutch pronken, make a show, arrange one's dress (pronckeprinken, glitter in a fine dress); in relation with prink, and with Middle Low German prunken = Middle High German brunken, German prunken = Swedish prunka = Danish prunke, make a show, prank, and with Middle Low German prangen = Middle High German prangen, brangen, German prangen = Icelandic pranga = Swedish prånga, pranga = Danish prange, make a show, German dial. prangezen, prangssen, assume airs, and further connected with brank, etc., and W. prangcio, prank, and with D. and Middle Low German pracht, Old High German Middle High German praht, braht, German pracht, Icelandic prakt, Swedish prakt, Danish pragt, pomp, splendor. Cf. prance.
  2. from prank, v.
 

Pronunciations
Record your own »
/præŋk/
by American Heritage

Charts
frequency chart

Bubble size: how much this word was used in a year

Bubble height: used more or less than expected, vs. all uses evenly distributed

You can expect to see this word about once a week.

Recently looked up

brung · blooms · asics · involution · diabolical

Recent Favorites

pygopagus · sanglant · Astacus · sweetbread · qualms

Recent Pronunciations

Der dicke Dachdecker deckte dir dein Dach, drum dank dem dicken Dachdecker, dass der dicke Dachdecker dir dein Dach deckte. · weitläufig · und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, so leben sie noch heute · redescheu · selbstverständlich