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to frock

to frock

1 8.9
To put a special robe on someone during a ceremony
  • verb
  • /frɑk/
  • Jargon
translation icon : imponer el hábito
  • Before the event began, the officials frocked themselves in their formal attire.
  • black frocked
  • white frocked

Examples

  • The Tribal, I find, is slower and less "fun" in many ways, but it's got a bit more of a challenge and also more opportunity to get all frocked up (and I do love costuming!).

    Blog text (10)
  • She was frocked in a beautiful gown for the wedding ceremony.

  • I will demonstrate to these ladies that I'm still a frocked minister of the gospel.

  • BERNADETTE: Come on, Adam, let's get frocked.

  • Black-frocked men stared at him, their severe attire evoking an earlier pain.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Just as I was wondering if they had arrived by ship or by plane, a problem seemed to have developed, for the white-frocked attendant with her ash-blonde wig had delivered bad news.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I saw it find my handsome wife and dally there a second, touching with the full hand of light her fine aristocratic face; and then I saw the camera touch my daughter, sniffing her out like a bird dog, feeling its way up her slim, yellow-frocked body to her face, which shone with the full light of innocence and morning.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Under a roving carnival-like atmosphere, the curious mingled with the serious, and the serious mixed with the shoppers and became lost behind gracefully frocked ladies with spreading hats and wondering parasols.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • He took the back roads home, avoiding the town entirely, uncertain of what was the greater cause for embarrassment: the sight of the town or of himself and this woman, frocked up in an outfit a mail-order catalogue might describe as old-fashioned country-western.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The priest frocked the children in their ceremonial robes for the special service.

Synonyms

to dress up
vsto frock
178 2.7

Put on special clothes for an event or to look attractive

applies to ceremonial dressing as part of a ritual rather than casual event wear
to attire
vsto frock
  • Formal
7 4.6

To put on special clothes to look nice or impressive

focuses on ceremonial function rather than appearance or impression
to robe
vsto frock
  • Formal
4 5.0

To dress someone in a long loose garment for a ceremony

focuses on dressing for a ceremony rather than general garment use
to gown
vsto frock
  • Formal
3 6.9

To put a long formal robe on someone for a ceremony

is used specifically during ceremonies to clothe someone ceremonially
to garb
vsto frock
2 7.9

To dress someone in clothes of a special type

is specifically about dressing for ceremonies rather than general stylistic clothing
to vest
vsto frock
  • Formal
1 7.8

To put on special religious or ceremonial clothes

emphasizes ceremony use rather than being mainly religious ritual clothing

Antonyms

to undress
  • NSFW
88 2.0

To take off clothes from yourself or another person

Compounds

frock coat
  • Archaic
2 9.9

A formal coat for men with skirts that reach the knees, common in the 1800s

How Formal

to robe
  • Formal
4 5.0
to frock
  • Jargon
1 8.9
to dress up
178 2.7
to dress
1.0
to clothe
19 3.2

Surface Forms

frock infinitive
frocked past
frocked past participle
frocking present participle
frocks third person singular

Etymology

Frock as a verb comes from the noun frock and means to dress someone in that robe; a helpful way to remember it is to think of being 'frocked' as being put into the special ceremonial garment during a ceremony.