Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To search (a person) for something concealed, especially a weapon, by passing the hands quickly over clothes or through pockets.
  • intransitive verb To move about briskly and playfully; frolic.
  • noun The act of frisking someone.
  • noun An energetic, playful movement; a gambol.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Lively; brisk; frisky.
  • noun A frolic; a gambol; a dance; a merry-making.
  • To leap, skip, prance, or gambol, as in frolic.
  • To freshen, as the wind.
  • To squander idly; dissipate in sport: with away.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To search (a person) for concealed weapons or other objects, by patting the clothing to detect objects underneath.
  • adjective obsolete Lively; brisk; frolicsome; frisky.
  • intransitive verb To leap, skip, dance, or gambol, in fronc and gayety.
  • adjective A frolic; a fit of wanton gayety; a gambol: a little playful skip or leap.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Lively; brisk; frolicsome; frisky.
  • noun A frolic; a fit of wanton gaiety; a gambol: a little playful skip or leap.
  • verb to frolic, gambol, skip, dance, leap
  • verb to search somebody by feeling their clothes

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the act of searching someone for concealed weapons or illegal drugs
  • verb search as for concealed weapons by running the hands rapidly over the clothing and through the pockets
  • verb play boisterously

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[From Middle English frisk, lively, from Old French frisque, of Germanic origin.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English frisk, from Old 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"). More at fresh.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word frisk.

Examples

  • To justify a patdown of the driver or a passenger during a traffic stop, however, just as in the case of a pedestrian reasonably suspected of criminal activity, the police must harbor reasonable suspicion that the person subjected to the frisk is armed and dangerous.

    Sui Generis--a New York law blog: 2009

  • To justify a patdown of the driver or a passenger during a traffic stop, however, just as in the case of a pedestrian reasonably suspected of criminal activity, the police must harbor reasonable suspicion that the person subjected to the frisk is armed and dangerous.

    Passengers Beware: You Can Be Frisked 2009

  • Well, since that was a Fourth Amendment case, and the reasonable suspicion standard has other Fourth Amendment applications, (such as when a Terry v. Ohio type stop and frisk is valid,) the discussion in Brignoni-Ponce would apply to the Fourth Amendment generally.

    The Volokh Conspiracy » What Will Kagan Say about AZ Immigration Law 2010

  • The frisk is a quick search of an individual for weapons, evidence, or contraband.

    FM 7-98 Appendix C - Operations and Techniques United States Army 1992

  • And any evidence from those non-searches can or can not beused? can. because any time a cop is lawfully in a position to observe x, x is admissible. doesn’t mean a frisk is a searchwhit (Quote)

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Shahzad and Miranda Rights 2010

  • May 7, 2010, 12: 51 pm whit says: whit: can. because any time a cop is lawfully in a position to observe x, x is admissible. doesn’t mean a frisk is a search and to be more clear, see plain view doctrine and open view doctrine. whit: can. because any time a cop is lawfully in a position to observe x, x is admissible. doesn’t mean a frisk is a search

    The Volokh Conspiracy » Shahzad and Miranda Rights 2010

  • Johnson's life, bringing him into scenes and among characters widely contrasted with his habitual surroundings, is one instance, and the memorable midnight "frisk" in the neighborhood of the Temple is another, among many that might be cited.

    Lippincott's Magazine, Vol. 22, November, 1878 of Popular Literature and Science Various

  • And older persons, not yet altogether regenerate, are apt to have a weakness for a man who was willing to be knocked up at three in the morning by some young roysterers, and turn out with them for a "frisk" about the streets and taverns and down the river in a boat.

    Dr. Johnson and His Circle John Cann Bailey 1897

  • Terahertz waves pass through non-conducting materials such as clothes, paper, wood and brick and so cameras sensitive to them can peer inside envelopes, into living rooms and "frisk" people at distance.

    Gorilla Radio blog ape 2010

  • The statement says Dunn told detectives that he told the women that he was going to "frisk" them, then fondled them for his own gratification rather than his safety.

    KVUE - Home 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.