freak

== English == === Alternative forms === freake (obsolete) freik, freke, frick (Scotland) === Pronunciation === enPR: frēk, IPA(key): /fɹiːk/ Rhymes: -iːk Homophone: phreak === Etymology 1 === First appears c. 1567. The sense "sudden change of mind, a whim" is of uncertain origin. Probably from a dialectal word related to Middle English frekynge (“capricious behavior; whims”) and Middle English friken, frikien (“to move briskly or nimbly”), from Old English frician (“to leap, dance”), or Middle English frek (“insolent, daring”), from Old English frec (“desirous, greedy, eager, bold, daring”), from Proto-West Germanic *frek, from Proto-Germanic *frekaz, *frakaz (“hard, efficient, greedy, bold, audacious”) (in which case, it would be related to the noun under Etymology 2). Compare Old High German freh (“eager”), Old English frēcne (“dangerous”). For the meaning development compare Russian заско́к (zaskók) akin to скок (skok), скака́ть (skakátʹ). ==== Noun ==== freak (plural freaks) (dated outside certain expressions) Someone or something that is markedly unusual or unpredictable. Synonyms: anomaly, outlier; see also Thesaurus:anomaly (Should we delete(+) this sense?) A hippie. Synonyms: longhair, tree hugger (Should we delete(+) this sense?) A drug addict. Synonyms: druggie, user; see also Thesaurus:addict (slang, chiefly derogatory) A person who is extremely abnormal in appearance, social behavior, sexual orientation, gender identity, or business practices; an oddball, a unique person, originally in a displeasing or alienating way. Synonyms: odd duck, weirdo; see also Thesaurus:strange person, Thesaurus:maverick (bodybuilding) A person whose physique has grown far beyond the normal limits of muscular development; often a bodybuilder weighing more than 260 pounds (120 kg). An enthusiast, or person who has an obsession with, or extreme knowledge of, something. Synonyms: fanatic, geek; see also Thesaurus:fan (informal, sometimes endearing) A very sexually perverse individual. Synonyms: horn dog, hypersexual, pervert; see also Thesaurus:libidinist (African-American Vernacular) A wild dance. (dated) A sudden change of mind. Synonyms: whim, vagary, caprice, fancy; see also Thesaurus:whim (dated) A streak of colour; variegation. Synonyms: (birds) superciliary, vein Euphemistic form of fuck (“smallest amount of concern or consideration”). ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Verb ==== freak (third-person singular simple present freaks, present participle freaking, simple past and past participle freaked) (intransitive, slang) To react extremely or irrationally, usually under distress or discomposure. (slang, ambitransitive) To be placed or place someone under the influence of a psychedelic drug, (especially) to experience reality withdrawal, or hallucinations (nightmarish), to behave irrational or unconventional due to drug use. (transitive, dated) To streak; to variegate ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Adjective ==== freak (not comparable) Strange, weird, unexpected. Synonyms: freakish; see also Thesaurus:strange, Thesaurus:lucky ===== Derived terms ===== freak accident ===== Translations ===== ==== Further reading ==== “freak”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC. William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “freak”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC. === Etymology 2 === From Middle English freke, freike (“a bold man, warrior, man, creature”), from Old English freca (“a bold man, warrior, hero”), from Proto-Germanic *frekô (“an active or eager man, warrior, wolf”), from *frekaz (“active, bold, desirous, greedy”), from Proto-Indo-European *pereg-, *spereg- (“to shrug, be quick, twitch, splash, blast”). Cognate with Old Norse freki (“greedy or avaricious one, a wolf”), Old High German freh (“eager”), German frech, Old English frēcne (“dangerous, daring, courageous, bold”). ==== Noun ==== freak (plural freaks) A man, particularly a bold, strong, vigorous man. (UK dialectal, Scotland) A fellow; a petulant young man. === Anagrams === Kafer, faker == Dutch == === Etymology === Borrowed from English freak. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /frik/, /friːk/ Hyphenation: freak Rhymes: -ik === Noun === freak m (plural freaks, diminutive freakje n) freak (oddball) freak (dedicated fan)