franchise 
The friiiirlti.ii'8 of the company were inmien.-i-. that it 
might lay its own plans, provide for its own defence, anil 
in all tilings take cure of itscll. 
H, Mist. I . S., II. 278. 
3. Specifically, the privilege of voting at pub- 
lic elections; the right of suffrage: distinctive- 
ly called the elective franrliim: 
Ttwfranclum', as s i as its value wa.s ascertained, be- 
came a subject of dispute between different classes of 
men. Stu/jbs, Const. Hist., 422. 
4. The district or jurisdiction to which a par- 
ticular individual or corporate privilege ex- 
tends; the limits of an immunity. 
Whanne [he] came ther for moehe people he sent, 
The whiche held of his lordshippe and.miw/icAessc, 
That thei shuld come to hym in eny wise. 
Geiurydes (E. E. T. S.), 1. 1273. 
Ye shall not suffer nor connsell any forymtr to dwell 
withyu the franschys of this craft. 
English Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 317. 
At Worcester in 1466 the rule was that the members 
should be chosen openly in the Guildhall by the inhab- 
itants of the franchise. Stubbs, Const. Hist., f 422. 
5. An asylum or sanctuary where persons are 
secure from arrest. 
Churches and monasteries in Spain are franchises for 
criminals. London Encyc. 
6f. Nobility of spirit ; generosity ; highminded- 
ness; magnanimity; liberality. 
Heer may ye se how excellent franchise 
In wommeu is whan they hem narwe avyse. 
Chaucer, Merchant's Tale, 1. 743. 
Yef we be take or slain, the harme is owres and the 
shame youres, . . . and ther-fore remembre vs of pitee 
and of youre grete fraunchiae. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 280. 
Corporate franchise. See def. 2. Elective fran- 
chise. See def. 3. Franchise Bill, a bill for the regula- 
tion of the rights of suffrage in a parliamentary or other 
election ; specifically, in Eng. hist., a bill passed in 1884, 
greatly extending the number of voters in elections for 
Parliament, particularly in the boroughs. Parliamen- 
tary franchise of a borough or county, the right to send 
representatives to Parliament. [Eng.] 
franchise (fran'chiz or -chiz), v. t.: pret. and 
pp. franchised, ppr franchising. [< ME. fran- 
chisen, fraunchisen, < OF. franchiss-, stem of 
certain parts of franchir, F. franehir, render 
free, < franc, free : see frank*, v. Cf. affran- 
chise, disfranchise, enfranchise.'] To make free; 
enfranchise. 
And to the sonnes of Aaron they gaue the franchysed 
cytyes Hebron and Lobnah, wyth their suburbes. 
Bible of 1561, 1 Chron. vi. 57. 
So I lose none [honor] 
In seeking to augment it, but still keep 
My bosom franchift'd and allegiance clear, 
I shall be counsell'd. Shak., Macbeth, ii. 1. 
franchisement (fran'chiz- or -chiz-ment), n. 
[< OF. franchisement, franchissement; as fran- 
chise, v., + -ment.~\ Release from burden or 
restriction ; enfranchisement. 
That fate, which did thy franchisement inforce, 
And from the depth of danger set thee free. 
Drayton, Barons' Wars, iii. 
franchiser (fran'chiz-er or -chiz-er), n. A per- 
son having a franchise. Carlyle. [Rare.] 
Frantic (fran'sik), a. [< ML. Franciscus, per- 
taining to the Franks, < Francus, pi. Franci, 
Frank: see Frank 1 .'] Pertaining to the Franks 
or the language of the Franks; Frankish. 
[Rare.] 
francisca (fran-sis'ka), n. [ML., fern, of Fran- 
ciscus, Frankish: see Prankish.) A battle-ax 
used by the Franks, of which the 
typical form is a head long in 
proportion to its width, and ex- 
panding toward a convex curved 
edge, the general direction of 
which forms a considerable an- 
gle with the handle. Others are 
two-bladed, or have a spike on the side 
Francisca. opposite to the blade; but these are 
(From Viollet-le- more rare. Alsofrancisque. 
Due's Diet, du MO- Franciscan (fran-sis'kan), . 
and n. [= F. Franciscain = Sp. 
Pg. Franciscano = It. Francescano (= D. Fran- 
ciskaan = G. Franciscaner = Sw. Dan. Francis- 
leaner, n.), < ML. Franciscus, a Franciscan, < 
Franciscus, Francis, a proper name, lit. 'Frank- 
ish': see Frankish, French.'] I. a. Belonging 
to the order of St. Francis; of or pertaining to 
the Franciscans. 
Holy Franciscan friar ! brother, ho t 
Shak., R. and J., v. 2. 
They who, to be sure of Paradise, 
Dying put on the weeds of Dominic, 
Or in Franciscan think to pass disguised. 
Milton, P. L., iii. 480. 
II. n. One of an order of mendicant friars 
founded by St. Francis of Assisi, Italy, author- 
ized by the pope in 1210 and more formally 
ratified in 1223. In addition to the usual vows of pov- 
2361 
erty, chastity, and i>hc>licnee. special .^trcs.s is laid upon 
prcai-hiuj; and ministry t" I he body and soul. I'mler va- 
rious names. such as Minorite.-. Barefooted Kriars, ami 
Gray Kriars. the order spread rapidly throughout Europe; 
amongits members wciv Alexander of Hale*. Duns Scotus, 
Roger Bacon, Occam, Popes Si.xtus V. and Clement XIV., 
and other eminent men ; ami the order was l.nii; noted for 
its rivalry with the Dominicans. Differences early arnse 
in retard t" the severity of the rule, which culminated in 
the fifteenth century ill the division of tile, order into two 
urcat classes, the Observnntines or oii-ervalits and the 
Conventuals ; the former follow a more rigorous, the lat- 
ter a milder rule. The general of the Observantines is 
minister-general of the entire order. The order has been 
not i 'd for missionary zeal, but Buffered considerably in the 
Reformation and the French revolution. The usual dis- 
tinguishing features of the garb are a gray or dark-brown 
cowl, a girdle, mid sandals. 
Franciscea (fran-sis'e-a), n. [NL., named af- 
ter Francis I., Emperor of Austria, a patron of 
botany.] A shrubby scrophulariaceous genus 
of Brazil, with large showy flowers, which is 
now referred to the genus BrwifeMa, Several 
species, as F. llopeana and F. eximia, are cultivated in 
greenhouses. The stems and root of F. tinijlora have 
been employed in the treatment of rheumatism, and are 
said to be used in Brazil as a remedy also for syphilis and 
other diseases. 
franciscein (fran-sis'e-in), n. [< Franciscea + 
-in 2 .] An alkaloid o'btained from the Brazil- 
ian monaca-root, the product of Franciscea uni- 
flora and other species. The alkaloid is said 
to have powerful purgative and diuretic quali- 
ties. 
Francise, v. t. See Francize. 
francisque (fran-sisk'), n. [F.,<francisca, q. v.] 
Same as francisca. 
Francize (fran'siz), v. t.; pret. and pp. Fran- 
cized, ppr. Francizing. [< ML. Francus, Frank, 
+ -ize.~\ To make Frankish ; Gallicize; French- 
ify. Also spelled Francise. [Rare.] 
He was an Englishman Francised, who, going over into 
France a young man, spent the rest of his life there. 
Fuller, Worthies, Hertford. 
Francoa (frang'ko-a), n. [NL., named after 
Franco, a physician and botanist of Valencia 
in the 15th century.] A genus of stemless 
perennial herbs, of the order Saxifragaceai, of 
which there are two Chilian species. They have 
lyrately piunatind leaves and racemes of rose-colored flow- 
ers. The roots are said to have astringent and sedative 
properties, and are used for dyeing black. 
Franco-Chinese (frang'ko-chl-nes'), a. Relat- 
ing to France and China; of or pertaining to 
both France and China, or French and Chinese. 
The recent Franco-Chinese war. 
Set. Amer., N. S., LV. 48. 
Franco-Chinese decoration, a style of decoration of 
, 
French enameled pottery of the eighteenth century with 
designs imitated from or suggested by the decoration of 
Chinese porcelain. The pottery of Sinceny especially is 
known by this name. See Sinceny ware, under trare^. 
francolin (frang ' ko -lin), . [< F. francolin = 
Sp. francolin = Pg'. francolim = It. fraiicoliuo 
(NL. francolintis), francolin, appar. dim. of Pg. 
frango, frangao, a cockerel, a chicken, fern. 
franga, a pullet.] A partridge of the genus 
Francolinus. The common francolin, F. mdgaris, is 
an elegant species, formerly found throughout all the 
Black or Common Francolin (Franrolinus vulgaris]. 
warmer parts of Europe, as well as in Asia and Africa, but 
now chiefly confined to Asia. It has a very loud whistle, 
and its flesh is greatly esteemed. 
Francolinae (frang-ko-H'ne), n. pi. [NL.] The 
francolins as a subfamily of gallinaceous birds. 
Francolinus (frang-ko-li'nus), n. [NL. : see 
franeolin."] The technical specific name of the 
common francolin, Tetrao francoKmis (Linnte- 
us), made by Stephens in 1819 a generic name 
of the francolins. There are several species besides 
F. mdgaris, as the Chinese, F. chinemie, and the Indian, 
F. flout, 
francolite (frang'ko-lit), n. [< Franco (see def. ) 
+ -lite.'] A grayish-green or brown variety of 
apatite from Wheal Franco, near Tavistock, in 
Frank 
Devonshire, England. It occurs in small round- 
ed crystals grouped in stalactitic masses. 
Franconian (frang-ko'ni-an), a. and n. [< ML. 
l-'i-iuiniiiiii +'-(.] I. a" Of or pertaining to 
Frauconia, a medieval German duchy south of 
Thuringia, later the name of several territorial 
divisions, and now of three provinces (Upper, 
Middle, and Lower Franconia) of Bavaria, con- 
sisting of parts of the old duchy Franconian 
emperors, the dynasty of German emperors who reigned 
Io24-112o : so called because they were descended from 
the lineal house of Krancollia. Also called Salian emperors. 
II. n. A native or an inhabitant of Franconia. 
Franco-Prussian (frang'ko-prush'an), a. Per- 
taining or relating to France and Prussia: as, 
the FraHco-I'nissiu n war. 
franc-tireur (fron'te-rer'), if.; pi. francs-tireurg 
(-rerz'). [F., lit. a free-shooter (Gr.freisehutz) ; 
< franc, free, + tireur. a marksman, shooter, 
drawer, < tirer, shoot, draw.] A sharpshooter 
in the French service, sometimes making part 
of a corps of light troops and sometimes of a 
separate body of guerrillas. Francs-tireurs were first 
organized in 1792, and were prominent in the war of 1870. 
frangent (frau'jent), a. [< i,.frangen(t-)s, ppr. 
offrangere, break, -y/ "frag = E. break. Cf. fra- 
gile, fragment.'] Causing fractures. H.JFalpule. 
frangibility (fran-ji-bil'i-ti), n. [=F.frangi- 
bilite = lt.frangibilita; infrangible + -ity.} The 
state or quality of being frangible. 
He allows the frangibilitij of charters when absolute 
occasion requires it. 
Fox, Speech, East India Bills, Dec. 1, 1783. 
frangible (fran'ji-bl), a. [< ME. frangebyll 
(once), < OF. and F. frangible = Sp. frangible 
= Pg. frangivel = It. frangibile, < L. frangere, 
break: see frangent.'] Capable of being bro- 
ken; liable to fracture ; breakable. 
Some solid and frangible, as the bones ; others tough and 
flexible, as the ligaments. Boyle, Works, III. 68. 
The women bore crockery and other frangible articles. 
J. T. Trowln-idge, Coupon Bonds, p. 138. 
frangibleness (fran'ji-bl-nes), . Same as 
frangibility. 
frangipane (fran'ji-pan), n. [<F.frangipaite, 
supposed to be so called from the Marquis 
Frangipani, major-general under Louis XIV.] 
1. ATI extract of milk for preparing artificial 
milk, made by evaporating to dryness skimmed 
milk, mixed with almonds and sugar. Thomas, 
Med. Diet. 2. A kind of pastry-cake, filled 
with cream, almonds, and sugar. 3. A kind 
of perfume. See frangipani. 
frangipani, frangipanni(fran-ji-pii'ni, -pan'i), 
. [See frangipane,] A perfume prepared 
from, or imitating the odor of, the flower of a 
West Indian tree, Plumiera mbra, or red jas- 
mine. 
frangula (frang'gu-la), . [NL. ; origin uncer- 
tain.] The bark of lihamnus Frangnla, used in 
medicine for somewhat the same purpose as 
rhubarb, 
frangiilin (frang'gu-lin), n. [</ra</ta + -i 2 .] 
A yellow crystallizable coloring matter (Cgo 
H2 O Oio) contained in the bark of the alder- 
buckthorn, Shamnvg Frtnigvla, and other spe- 
cies of the same genus. 
franiont, n. [Perhaps a perverted form of OF. 
faineant, an idle or lazy fellow: see faineant.] 
An idle, dissolute fellow ; a paramour or boon 
companion ; a gay or dissolute person of either 
sex. See first extract under/hiA; 2 , a., 5. 
This Ladie, which he sheweth here, 
Is not (I wager) Floriniell at all ; 
But some fayre Franion, fit for such a fere. 
Spenser, F. Q., V. iii. 22. 
Frank 1 (frangk), n. [< ME. Frank, < AS. Fran- 
ca, pi. Francan = D. Frank, pi. Franken = 
MLG. Franker = OHG. Franko, MHG. Vranke, 
G. Franke = Dan. Sw. Frank-er = OF. and F. 
Franc = Sp. Pg. It. Franco, < ML. Francus, pi. 
Franci (generally in the plural), a Frank (see 
def . ), a tribal name usually explained, from the 
OHG. form, as < OHG. "franclio, "franko = AS. 
franca, a spear, javelin, = Icel. frakki, also 
frakka (prob. < AS.), a kind of spear; the Franks 
being thus ult. ' Spear-men,' as Saxons were 
' Sword-men ' (see Saxon). The notion of ' free ' 
associated with Frank is appar. later: see 
franlfl, n.] 1. A member of a body of Ger- 
manic tribes which coalesced xinder this name 
in the third century, and afterward separated 
into three groups, the Chatti, the Ripuarian 
Franks, and the Salian or Salic Franks. The 
Ripuarians dwelt along the Rhine, near Cologne. The 
Salians occupied the country on the lower Rhine, and in 
the fifth century, under Clovis. overthrew the Roman 
power in Gaul, founded the Merovingian Frankish mon- 
archy, and gave origin to the name France. 
