Word
franklin
US/ˈfɹæŋkɫɪn/
UK/fɹˈæŋklɪn/
Definitions
01a hundred-dollar bill
n. a slang name for a one-hundred-dollar bill in the United States because it has Benjamin Franklin's face on it.
n. a one-hundred-dollar banknote in the United States. Informal register; derived from the portrait of Benjamin Franklin featured on the currency.
“He pulled a couple of franklins out of his wallet to pay for the expensive dinner.”
“The dealer counted out five franklins and slid them across the table, completing the transaction in cash as requested.”
American English · Slang · Informal
Teaching tip
This is common in hip-hop lyrics and urban slang; learners should use it only in very casual settings.
Synonyms
02historical landowner
n. a person in the 14th or 15th century in England who owned land but was not a noble.
n. a historical class of English landowner in the 14th and 15th centuries who held land freely but was not of noble birth.
“In the old story, the franklin was a wealthy man who loved to share his food with others.”
“Chaucer’s Franklin is depicted as a prosperous landowner whose hospitality and obsession with culinary delights define his social standing.”
Archaic · Technical
Usage
Usually appears in historical or literary contexts, particularly when discussing Middle English literature.
Teaching tip
Most modern speakers only know this word through literature, such as Chaucer's 'The Canterbury Tales'.
Synonyms
Real-World Examples
“At King's College London, chemist Rosalind Franklin produced the X-ray image that revealed the structure of DNA.” Etymology
From Middle English frankelein (“freeholder”), see franklin. The place names are mostly named after American statesman Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/franklin