prank en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /pɹæŋk/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation) without æ-raising
- /pɹaŋk/ (British, Northern-England, Southern, Standard)
- [ˈpɹʷæŋk] (General-American, Received-Pronunciation) without æ-raising
- /pɹɛŋk/ (New-Zealand)
- [ˈpɹʷæːŋk] (Australia)
- [ˈpɹʷeɪ̯ŋk] ~ [ˈpɹʷɛ̃ŋk] US, Canada, æ-raising
- /pɹeɪ̯ŋk/ US, Canada, æ-raising
- [ˈpɹʷɛːŋk] ~ [ˈpɹʷeːŋk] (Australia) æ-raising
- /pɹæːŋk/ (Australia)
- /pɾaŋk/ (Scotland, Wales)
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Origin uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”), related to German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *pranganą, *prangijaną, *prag- (“to press, squeeze, thring”), from Proto-Indo-European *brengʰ- (“to press, squeeze”). Or, perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *brahtaz, similar to Dutch pracht (“splendor”), Swedish prakt (“glory, pomp”) (loaned from Low German). Cognate with Middle Low German prunken (“to flaunt”), German prunken (“to flaunt”), Danish prunke (“to make a show, prank”). Sense of "mischievous act" from earlier verbal sense of "to be crafty or subtle, set in order, adjust". See also prink, prance, prong.
Meanings
-
A practical joke or mischievous trick.
He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.
The harpies […] played their accustomed pranks.
1614, Walter Ralegh [i.e., Walter Raleigh], The Historie of the World […], London: […] William Stansby for Walter Burre, […], →OCLC, (please specify |book=1 to 5):pull a prank on someone
His pranks have been too broad to bear with.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:play a prank
-
(obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.
She played a cruel prank on him.
Lilius Geraldus ſaith,that Hercules after all his mad prankes vpon his wife and children, was perfectly cured by a purge of Hellebor,which an Anticyrian adminiſtred vnto him.
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Simples purging melancholy downeward”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 4, member 2, subsection 2, page 311:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pranks | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Deriveds
prankless · pranky · prank call · prankster · prankage · pranksome · pranker · prankful · prankish
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
joy buzzer · prank call · panty raid · purple nurple · towel snap · 52-card pickup · butter-slide · apple-pie bed · Chinese finger trap · whoopee cushion · ding-dong ditch · trick-or-treat · invisible ink · wedgie · titty twister · nipple cripple · knock down ginger · April fool · black fax
Relateds
Synonyms
curvet · rag · prat · marlock · capriccio · high jinks · gag · reak · shenanigan · caper · lark · trick · prank · windup · practical joke · gambade · monkeyshine
Translations (149)
sh psȉna (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es bufa (practical joke or mischievous trick) · be ро́зыгрыш (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es broma (practical joke or mischievous trick) · et vemp (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hy օյին (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es chanza (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi kepponen (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cmn 惡作劇 /恶作剧 (practical joke or mischievous trick) · th กลอุบาย (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es jaimitada (practical joke or mischievous trick) · kea txakóta (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cs fígl (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sh psine (practical joke or mischievous trick) · pdt Spos (practical joke or mischievous trick) · uk ро́зіграш (practical joke or mischievous trick) · tr muziplik (practical joke or mischievous trick) · pl figiel (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es diablura (practical joke or mischievous trick) · uk фі́гель (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sk žart (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hu csíny (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cy cast (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es picardía (practical joke or mischievous trick) · it burla (practical joke or mischievous trick) · kea txokóta (practical joke or mischievous trick) · az nadinclik (practical joke or mischievous trick) · be жарт (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es travesura (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sk fígeľ (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hu hecc (practical joke or mischievous trick) · be пранк (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es trastada (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru шу́тка (practical joke or mischievous trick) · tr şaka (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ja 悪ふざけ (practical joke or mischievous trick) · be вы́хадка (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru ша́лость (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hu csínytevés (practical joke or mischievous trick) · mk ше́га (practical joke or mischievous trick) · mk ма́јтап (practical joke or mischievous trick) · de Streich (practical joke or mischievous trick) · it beffa (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hi लंगराई (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sh пси̏на (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es jarana (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sl šala (practical joke or mischievous trick) · nn rampestrek (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sv busstreck (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es chafa (practical joke or mischievous trick) · haw kēpuka (practical joke or mischievous trick) · pl kawał (practical joke or mischievous trick) · de Schabernack (practical joke or mischievous trick) · gl falcatrúa (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es cuchufleta (practical joke or mischievous trick) · be сваво́льства (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ro poznă (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ro farsă (practical joke or mischievous trick) · eo petolo (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi pila (practical joke or mischievous trick) · af grap (practical joke or mischievous trick) · az şuluqluq (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sh ша́ла (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ca malifeta (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sh псине (practical joke or mischievous trick) · bg майта́п (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi jäynä (practical joke or mischievous trick) · mi māminga (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hu kópéság (practical joke or mischievous trick) · it scherzo meschino (practical joke or mischievous trick) · uk жарт (practical joke or mischievous trick) · eu bihurrikeria (practical joke or mischievous trick) · nn ablegøyer (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es inocentada (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sv spratt (practical joke or mischievous trick) · eu deabrukeria (practical joke or mischievous trick) · acw مَقْلَب (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sk špás (practical joke or mischievous trick) · az dəcəllik (practical joke or mischievous trick) · vi trò chơi khăm (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cs špás (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sv bus (practical joke or mischievous trick) · it vigliaccata (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cy rhosb (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cs šprým (practical joke or mischievous trick) · gl falcatruada (practical joke or mischievous trick) · hu huncutság (practical joke or mischievous trick) · af poets (practical joke or mischievous trick) · gl aduanada (practical joke or mischievous trick) · is hrekkur (practical joke or mischievous trick) · el φάρσα (practical joke or mischievous trick) · gd cleas (practical joke or mischievous trick) · nl grap (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es chirigota (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ga cleas (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cs kanadský žert (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es chacota (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ja 悪戯 (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es chufla (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ar مَقْلَب (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru ро́зыгрыш (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cy cestyn (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru проде́лка (practical joke or mischievous trick) · pt pegadinha (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi jekku (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sq rreng (practical joke or mischievous trick) · pt travessura (practical joke or mischievous trick) · et temp (practical joke or mischievous trick) · gl trasnada (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ja どっきり (practical joke or mischievous trick) · lv nerātnība (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sv hyss (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es guasa (practical joke or mischievous trick) · nb ablegøyer (practical joke or mischievous trick) · bg шега́ (practical joke or mischievous trick) · nn pøbelstrek (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ko 장난 (practical joke or mischievous trick) · he מְתִיחָה (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru вы́ходка (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es cabuleo (practical joke or mischievous trick) · izh koirus (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es changoneta (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ota شقا (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sl hec (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es trebejo (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fr tour (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ota اویون (practical joke or mischievous trick) · eo bubaĵo (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru прока́за (practical joke or mischievous trick) · bg лудори́я (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ka ოინი (practical joke or mischievous trick) · uk ви́брик (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi kolttonen (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ko 농담 (practical joke or mischievous trick) · pt trote (practical joke or mischievous trick) · tr eşek şakası (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi metku (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ota لطیفه (practical joke or mischievous trick) · es trampucheta (practical joke or mischievous trick) · lv draiskulība (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sk huncútstvo (practical joke or mischievous trick) · nl streek (practical joke or mischievous trick) · sv streck (practical joke or mischievous trick) · cy pranc (practical joke or mischievous trick) · uk пранк (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fr farce (practical joke or mischievous trick) · fi kuje (practical joke or mischievous trick) · be вы́брык (practical joke or mischievous trick) · ru пранк (practical joke or mischievous trick)