noun
Franklin
FRANGK-lihn
noun
1
Historically, a free landowner in medieval England who ranked just below the nobility.
"The franklin in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is known for his generous hospitality."
2
Informal US slang for a hundred-dollar bill, from Benjamin Franklin's portrait on it.
"He peeled off a couple of franklins to cover dinner."
How to Use Franklin
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishAn old English term for a commoner landowner, and modern slang for a $100 bill.
Word Forms
Franklins plural, Franklins plural, franklins plural
Study it as flashcards or scroll it in Flow — saved to your collection.
Test yourself on “Franklin”
A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage
→
Fill the Gap
Can you complete this real example?
The _____ in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is known for his generous hospitality.
Etymology
From Middle English frankelein, "freeholder," ultimately related to "frank" (free) — a franklin was a free man who owned land but wasn't nobility.