I. ˈfrēk noun
( -s )
Etymology: perhaps from obsolete freak man-at-arms, human being, extraordinary or supernatural creature (in such phrases as the freaks of Fortune, literally, the minions of Fortune), from Middle English freke, from Old English freca warrior, hero, from frec greedy, eager, bold, dangerous; akin to Old High German freh untamed, greedy, Old Norse frekr greedy, harsh, severe, Gothic faihu friks covetous, greedy for money, Polish pragnąć to desire, Czech prahnouti
1.
a. : a sudden apparently causeless turn of the mind : whim , fancy , caprice
the condition of the mare, and the young gentleman's strange freak in riding her out all night — George Meredith
his spurts of action are not mere freaks of a temperament that alternates between feverish exploits and slothful lethargy — Karl Polanyi
you should be able to stop and go on, and follow this way or that, as the freak takes you — R.L.Stevenson
also : an odd or whimsical idea or preconception
a bishop arrived who'd some strange freaks about meditation — George Bellairs
b. : an odd, unexpected, or seemingly capricious action or event
by a freak of wind the smoke had been blown high — Wallace Stegner
stories about freaks of the weather, floods, and great droughts — American Guide Series: Ind.
a freak of good fortune — New Yorker
2. archaic : a freakish quality or disposition : capriciousness , whimsicality
3.
a. : a product of freakish thought or action or of a freakish process : something markedly unusual or abnormal
freaks of this storm include a shingle driven through a fence post, a flock of chickens picked clean, and the walls of a house carried away bodily, leaving a cupboard full of unbroken china — American Guide Series: Minnesota
the freaks of contemporary fashion — O. Elfrida Saunders
no individual freak , but a confirmed habit of the species — James Stevenson-Hamilton
b. : something markedly abnormal mentally or physically especially to the point of shocking usual expectations ; especially : one with a physical oddity who appears in a circus sideshow or similar exhibition — compare mutation , sport 6
4. Britain : a wild card in poker ; especially : a wild deuce
II. adjective
: having the character of a freak : diverging from what is natural or normal
when rain comes it is often in freak deluges — Keith Ellis
the range of the four main voices, … is not more than four octaves … except in the case of Russian basses and freak sopranos — Ralph Vaughan Williams
grotesque sandstone formations, tooled by centuries of wind and weather into freak shapes — American Guide Series: California
III. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
: to streak especially with color
silver and mother-of-pearl freaking the intense azure — Robert Bridges †1930
IV. noun
1. : an ardent enthusiast
a film freak
2. : one who uses illicit drugs
3. : hippie
V. ˈfrēk verb
Etymology: freak , noun (herein)
intransitive verb
1. : to withdraw from reality and society especially by taking drugs
2. : to experience nightmarish hallucinations as a result of taking drugs : have a bad trip — often used with out
3.
a. : to behave irrationally or unconventionally under the influence of drugs — often used with out
b. : to lose one's composure : react with extreme or irrational distress or excitement — often used with out
if I lose my glasses or miss an appointment, I freak out — Emmylou Harris
transitive verb
1. : to put under the influence of a psychedelic drug
2. : to make greatly astonished, distressed, or discomposed : upset — often used with out
what he saw freaked him out so much that he still gets shaken when he remembers it — Berkeley Barb
• freaked or freaked-out ˈ ̷ ̷ ¦ ̷ ̷ adjective