poet. Obs. Forms: 1 freca, 5–6 freak(e, freik(e, (5 frecke, freeke, freyke), 4– freke. [OE. freca, properly subst. use of free, FRECK a.] Properly, one eager for fight; a warrior, champion; but usually a mere poetic synonym for ‘man’ (cf. berne, tulk, wye).
Beowulf, 1563. He ȝefeng þa fetel-hilt freca scyldinga.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2161.
| Oure kyng hath this freke y-felde; | |
| Our is the maistry of the felde! |
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., xl.
| Wele armut and dyȝte, | |
| As freke redy to fyȝte, | |
| Toward Carlele ryȝte, | |
| He hies, gode spede. |
c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 255, in Babees Bk. (1868), 306.
| Go not forthe as a dombe freke, | |
| Syn god hase laft the tonge to speke. |
15[?]. Scotish Ffeilde, 50, in Furniv., Percy Folio, I. 214.
| When his father, that feirce freake, had finished his dayes, | |
| he made frenchman afeard. |
a. 1555. Lyndesay, Tragedy, 218. Than euery freik thay tuke of me sic feir.
a. 1605. Montgomerie, Commend. of Love, 37.
| Love can not be, bot from above, | |
| Quhilk halds the hairt so quik in heit. | |
| Fy on that freik that can not love! | |
| He hes not worth a sponk of spreit. |
