frisk

1 of 2

verb

frisked; frisking; frisks

transitive verb

: to search (a person) for something (such as a concealed weapon) by running the hand rapidly over the clothing and through the pockets

intransitive verb

: to leap, skip, or dance in a lively or playful way : gambol
frisker noun

frisk

2 of 2

noun

1
: an act of frisking
2

Examples of frisk in a Sentence

Verb carefree kids laughing and frisking about in their backyard Noun fondly remembers the summer before he started college as one long frisk
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
The attorney said the officers then frisked Mangione, took his backpack and other items, and blocked him from leaving the McDonald’s. Kara Scannell, CNN, 28 Feb. 2025 The lawyer also stated that the women were restrained and frisked by male officers, even though female officers were present. Jose R. Gonzalez, The Arizona Republic, 2 Nov. 2024
Noun
Officers conducted a pat frisk of the suspect, and found a large vape as well as three credit cards with different names. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 16 Sep. 2024 Officers conducted a pat frisk, and recovered a firearm from inside the vehicle. Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 12 Nov. 2024 See All Example Sentences for frisk

Word History

Etymology

Verb

obsolete frisk lively

First Known Use

Verb

1519, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun

1525, in the meaning defined at sense 2c

Time Traveler
The first known use of frisk was in 1519

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Frisk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frisk. Accessed 6 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

frisk

verb
ˈfrisk
1
: to move around in a lively or playful way
2
: to search (a person) quickly especially for concealed weapons
frisker noun

Legal Definition

frisk

transitive verb
: to run the hand rapidly over the outer clothing of (a suspect) for the purpose of finding concealed weapons compare search

Note: The purpose of frisking a suspect is to insure the safety of an officer making an investigation against concealed weapons, not to uncover evidence. The officer must be justified in his or her encounter of the suspect and must have a reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed. The scope of the frisk must be limited to the discovery of weapons.

frisk noun

More from Merriam-Webster on frisk

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