Definition of frisk
intransitive verb
: to leap, skip, or dance in a lively or playful way : gambol
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
frisker
nounExplore Merriam-Webster
Examples of frisk in a Sentence
carefree kids laughing and frisking about in their backyard
Recent Examples of frisk from the Web
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At the same time, the report found that after controlling for factors like crime and neighborhood, the likelihood a person will be stopped and, when stopped, be frisked, does vary substantially by race.
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Still, the monitor found blacks are stopped and frisked at higher rates than their representation in Seattle’s population — an area of concern that requires additional study by the Police Department on what is driving the disparity, the report says.
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In recent years, temporary structures were erected in the courtyard for frisking visitors and issuing tickets before sending them toward a messy warren of entrances.
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At a place where a cursory ID check is usually as tight as security gets, the doorman was now stationed outside, checking bags and frisking customers before letting them through the doors.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frisk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of frisk
obsolete frisk lively
Other Legal Terms
Examples of frisk in a Sentence
fondly remembers the summer before he started college as one long frisk
Recent Examples of frisk from the Web
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It's rooted in policies, procedures and laws underpinning the justice system that disproportionately affect people of color, from stop-and-frisk policies and arrests for low-level crimes to mandatory minimums in sentencing.
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Hop along as we stop-and-frisk some innocent black men.
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But Kelly also came under fire for his use of aggressive police tactics, including a program that spied on Muslims and a dramatic spike in the use of stop-and-frisk, which disproportionately affected nonwhite New Yorkers. _
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But Kelly also came under fire for his use of aggressive police tactics, including a program that spied on Muslims and a dramatic spike in the use of stop-and-frisk, which disproportionately affected nonwhite New Yorkers. _
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But Kelly also came under fire for his use of aggressive police tactics, including a program that spied on Muslims and a dramatic spike in the use of stop-and-frisk, which disproportionately affected nonwhite New Yorkers. _
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But Kelly also came under fire for his use of aggressive police tactics, including a program that spied on Muslims and a dramatic spike in the use of stop-and-frisk, which disproportionately affected nonwhite New Yorkers. _
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But Kelly also came under fire for his use of aggressive police tactics, including a program that spied on Muslims and a dramatic spike in the use of stop-and-frisk, which disproportionately affected non-white New Yorkers. _
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But Kelly also came under fire for his use of aggressive police tactics, including a program that spied on Muslims and a dramatic spike in the use of stop-and-frisk, which disproportionately affected nonwhite New Yorkers. _
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'frisk.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of frisk
1525
FRISK Defined for English Language Learners
frisk
playDefinition of frisk for English Language Learners
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: to pass your hands over (someone) to search for something that may be hidden in clothing
FRISK Defined for Kids
frisk
playDefinition of frisk for Students
frisked
;frisking
1 : to move around in a lively or playful way
2 : to search a person quickly for something that may be hidden
Law Dictionary
frisk
Legal Definition of frisk
: to run the hand rapidly over the outer clothing of (a suspect) for the purpose of finding concealed weapons — compare search
frisk
nounAdditional Notes on frisk
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.
Learn More about frisk
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See words that rhyme with frisk Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for frisk Spanish Central: Translation of frisk Nglish: Translation of frisk for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
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