Frank

Multiple Entries:
  Frank    frank  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
Frank/fraŋk/

▶noun a member of a Germanic people that conquered Gaul in the 6th century.

– derivatives
Frankish adjective & noun.

– origin OE Franca, of Gmc origin; perh. from the name of a weapon and rel. to OE franca ‘javelin’; reinforced in ME by med. L. Francus and OFr. Franc, of the same origin and rel. to French.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
frank1

▶adjective

• 1 candid and honest.

  ■ sincere or undisguised: frank admiration.

• 2 Medicine unmistakable.

– derivatives
frankness noun.

– origin ME (in the sense ‘free’, also ‘generous’): from OFr. franc, from med. L. francus ‘free’, from Francus (see Frank: only Franks had full freedom in Frankish Gaul).

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
frank2

▶verb stamp an official mark on (a letter or parcel) to indicate that postage has been paid or does not need to be paid.

■ historical sign (a letter or parcel) to ensure delivery free of charge.

▶noun a franking mark on a letter or parcel.

– derivatives
franker noun,
franking noun.

– origin C18: from frank1, an early sense being ‘free of obligation’.