Meanings
plural frekes · plural freken · alternative freak
- obsoleteA brave man, a warrior, a man-at-arms.
Þen found he no frekes to fraist on his strenght.
1540, Destruction of Troy1 more example
There was never a freke one foot would flee, but still in stour did stand.
1891, Henry Morley, A Bundle of Ballads - obsoleteA man; a human being; a person.
Go not forthe as a dombe freke.
1475, Book of Courtesy1 more example
þes fifti, alle ferliche freken.
1225, St. Katherine of Alexandria - obsoleteA creature such as a giant, demon, angel.
Bringing my love, for Time’s a freke of jealous strain; […]
1885, Richard F. Burton, The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*preg-“to shrug, be quick, twitch, splash, blast”
- Proto-Germanic*frekô“an active or eagre man, warrior, wolf”
- Proto-West Germanic[Term?]
- Old Englishfreca“a bold man, warrior, hero”
- Middle Englishfreke“a bold man, warrior, man, creature”
- Englishfreke
From Middle English freke (“a bold man, warrior, man, creature”), from Old English freca (“a bold man, warrior, hero”), from Proto-West Germanic [Term?], from Proto-Germanic *frekô (“an active or eagre man, warrior, wolf”), from *frekaz (“active, bold, desirous, greedy”), from Proto-Indo-European *preg- (“to shrug, be quick, twitch, splash, blast”). Akin with Old Norse freki (“greedy or avaricious one, a wolf”), Old High German freh (“eager”), Old English frēcne (“dangerous, daring, courageous, bold”).
More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
freke. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/freke
“freke.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/freke. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “freke,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/freke.
Source: freke on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.