freak

• n. 怪人，怪事；畸形人；反復(fù)無常
• adj. 奇異的，反常的

詞源不詳。

freak (n.1)

1560s, "sudden and apparently causeless turn of mind," of unknown origin. Perhaps it is from a dialectal survival of a word related to Middle English friken "to move nimbly or briskly," from Old English frician "to dance" [OED, Barnhart]. There is a freking attested in mid-15c., apparently meaning "capricious behavior, whims." Or perhaps from Middle English frek "eager, zealous, bold, brave, fierce" (see freak (n.2)).

Sense of "capricious notion" (1560s) and "unusual thing, fancy" (1784) preceded that of "abnormally developed individual or production" (first in freak of nature, 1839, which was later popular in variety show advertisements for bearded ladies, albinos, etc.; compare Latin lusus natur?, which was used in English from 1660s). As "drug user," attested from 1945. The sense in health freak, ecology freak, etc. is attested from 1908 (originally Kodak freak, a camera buff). Freak show attested from 1887.

freak (v.)

"change, distort," 1911, from freak (n.1). Earlier, "to streak or fleck randomly" (1630s). Related: Freaked; freaking.

freak (n.2)

"brave man, warrior," Scottish freik, from Middle English freke "a bold man, a warrior, a man," from Old English freca "bold man, a warrior," from frec "greedy, eager, bold" (compare German frech "bold, impudent").

1. Weir broke his leg in a freak accident playing golf.

韋爾因為一次打高爾夫時發(fā)生的離奇事故折斷了腿。

來自柯林斯例句

2. A freak wave had buckled the deck.

突然掀起的巨浪打彎了甲板。

來自柯林斯例句

3. By some freak of fate, she won an enormous sum of money.

她不知交了什么好運, 贏了一大筆錢.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

4. It was a freak of mine to wear pink pajamas.

穿上粉紅色睡衣是我一時的奇想.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》

5. A freak wave washed the two children away.

突如其來的浪頭把兩個孩子卷走了.

來自《簡明英漢詞典》