prank

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 *brAngh- (“to press, squeeze”). Or, perhaps ultimately related to Proto-Germanic *brahtaz, similar to Dutch pracht (“splendor”), Swedish prakt (“glory, pomp”) (loaned from Low German).[1]

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.

• enPR: prăngk, IPA^(key): /pɹæŋk/

• Audio (AU)

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• Rhymes: -æŋk

prank (plural pranks)

1. A practical joke or mischievous trick.

   play a prank

   pull a prank on someone

   He pulled a gruesome prank on his sister.

   • 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]:

     His pranks have been too broad to bear with.

   • 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):

     The harpies […] played their accustomed pranks.

2. (obsolete) An evil deed; a malicious trick, an act of cruel deception.
   • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Simples purging melancholy downeward”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 4, member 2, subsection 2, page 311:

     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.

• See also Thesaurus:joke

• prank call
• pranker
• prankful
• prankish
• prankless
• pranksome
• prankster
• pranky

prank (third-person singular simple present pranks, present participle pranking, simple past pranked, past participle pranked or (archaic) prankt)

1. (transitive) To perform a practical joke on; to trick.
   • 2007 May 13, Karen Crouse, “Still Invitation Only, but Jets Widen Door for Camp”, in New York Times‎:

     “If someone’s pranking me,” Rowlands remembered thinking, “they’re going to great lengths to make it work.”

2. (transitive, slang) To call someone's phone and promptly hang up

   Hey man, prank me when you wanna get picked up.

   I don't have your number in my phone; can you prank me?

3. (transitive, archaic) To adorn in a showy manner; to dress or equip ostentatiously.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto II”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 36:

     In sumptuous tire she ioyd her selfe to prancke

   • 1748, James Thomson, The Castle of Indolence, B:II

     And there a Seaſon atween June and May,

     Half prankt with Spring, with Summer half imbrown'd,

     A liſtleſs Climate made, where, Sooth to ſay,

     No living Wight could work, ne cared even for Play.

   • 1880, Dante Gabriel Rosetti, For Spring, by Sandro Botticelli, lines 2–3:

     Flora, wanton-eyed
     For birth, and with all flowrets prankt and pied:

4. (intransitive) To make an ostentatious show.
   • 1867, Matthew Arnold, “Obermann Once More”, in New Poems:

     White houses prank where once were huts.

(call and promptly hang up): missed call, missed-call

prank (not comparable)

1. (obsolete, slang) Full of gambols or tricks.

prank

1. prank
   • 2016, Klaus Rifbjerg, Falsk forår, Gyldendal A/S, →ISBN:

     Hvad hun tillod sig nu var altså en prank, en joke, noget, der havde med overskud at gøre og slet ikke kunne bringes under de rubrikker, hun lå og forestillede sig.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2014, Nick Clausen, Kanel, klejner og julekaos, Tellerup A/S, →ISBN:

     Bare fordi det er min tur til at finde på en prank gider du ikke gøre dig umage .

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)

   • 2016, Lasse Henriksen, Pil Ingerslev, Benny 1's normale guide til det paranormale, Art People, →ISBN:

     Pranken fik sit eget liv, ...

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)