Meanings
frock1
plural frocks
- A dress, a piece of clothing, which consists of a skirt and a cover for the upper body.
This was just what he had been afraid of. These blithering women who thought they could do a man's work. Why the hell couldn't they stay at home and mind their pots and pans and stick to their frocks and gossip and leave men's work to the men.
1953, Ian Fleming, “Black Hare and Grey Hound”, in Casino Royale, London: Pan Books, published 1955, page 105 - An undress regimental coat.
present singular third person frocks · participle present frocking · participle past frocked · past frocked
- transitiveTo make (somebody) a cleric.
- UStransitivegovernmentTo grant to an officer the title and uniform of a rank he will soon be promoted to.
MajGen Richard G. Schulze […] was selected for two-star rank by members of the January selection board. He was frocked on 27 Jan and assigned new duties as CG, MCRD, San Diego.
1976, The Marine Corps Gazette, volumes 61-62, page 4
frock2
Frock3
Synonyms & antonyms
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
frock · noun, verb
- Proto-Indo-European*kreḱ-“to weave”
- Proto-Germanic*hrukkaz“robe, jacket, skirt, tunic”
- Frankish*hrokk“skirt, dress, robe”
- Old Frenchfroc“frock, a monk's gown or habit”
- Middle Englishfrok
- Englishfrock
From Middle English frok, frokke, from Old French froc (“frock, a monk's gown or habit”), perhaps via Medieval Latin hrocus, roccus, rocus (“a coat”), from Frankish *hrokk (“skirt, dress, robe”), from Proto-Germanic *hrukkaz (“robe, jacket, skirt, tunic”), from Proto-Indo-European *kreḱ- (“to weave”). Cognate with Old High German hroch, roch (“skirt, dress, cowl”) – whence German Rock (“skirt, coat”) –, Saterland Frisian Rok (“skirt”), Dutch rok (“skirt, petticoat”), Old English rocc (“an overgarment, tunic, rochet”), Old Norse rokkr (“skirt, jacket”), whence Danish rok (“garment”).
More words from Middle English, Old French, Frankish
Full word history & related roots →frock · noun
- Old Norsefrauki“frog”
- Middle Englishfrock
- Englishfrock
From Middle English frock, froke, from Old Norse frauki (“frog”), related to Old English frocga (“frog”). More at frog.
More words from Middle English, Old Norse
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian расо, рокля
- расо (raso)clerical garment
- рокля (roklja)female garment
- запопвам (zapopvam)to make a cleric
Czech sutana, dámské šaty
- sutanaclerical garment
- dámské šatyfemale garment
- šatečkyfemale garment
- šatyfemale garment
Finnish kaapu, papinkaapu
- kaapuclerical garment
- papinkaapuclerical garment
- leninkifemale garment
- mekkofemale garment
French soutane, froc
- soutaneclerical garment
- frocclerical garment
- robefemale garment
German Kleid, Kutte
- Kleidfemale garment
- Kuttefemale garment
Icelandic kjóll
- kjóllfemale garment
Irish gúna
- gúnafemale garment
Italian tonaca, abito
- tonacaclerical garment
- abitofemale garment
Latin indusium
- indusiumfemale garment
Portuguese hábito, túnica
- hábitoclerical garment
- túnicaclerical garment
- vestidofemale garment
Russian ряса, одеяние
- ряса (rjasa)clerical garment
- одеяние (odejanije)clerical garment
- платье (platʹje)female garment
Spanish vestido, ordenar
- vestidofemale garment
- ordenarto make a cleric
Swedish klänning
- klänningfemale garment
Welsh ffrog, ffrogiau
- ffrogfemale garment
- ffrogiaufemale garment
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with frock
Cite this entry
frock. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frock
“frock.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frock. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “frock,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/frock.
Source: frock on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.