fr

Everyday

1. (church) «Fr» or «Fr.» is short for «Father», the title of a Catholic, Orthodox or Anglican priest: «Fr. Michael». tree →
2. (abbreviation) «Fr» can be short for «French» or «France», and «fr» for French on language menus and web addresses ending «.fr». tree →
3. (slang, texting) «fr» means «for real»: «that's funny fr». tree →
4. (science) «Fr» is the chemical symbol for francium, a rare element. tree →
5. (money) «Fr» was short for «franc», old French money; Swiss francs are still used. tree →

In the lessons

In church life, priests are written «Fr.» before their name in parish newsletters. In online chat, teenagers write «fr» or «fr fr» to mean «for real», «honestly». In computing, «fr» is the language code for French. In science, «Fr» is on the periodic table.

Examples

• Fr. Patrick said Mass on Sunday. tree →
• «That's so true fr», she texted. tree →
• French websites often end in «.fr». tree →
• On the language menu, «fr» means French. tree →
• Fr is the symbol for francium. tree →
• Write to Fr. Brown at the parish office. tree →

Note

A fragment or abbreviation, not an English word. Read it out in full: «Father», «French» or «for real». The slang «fr» is informal and only for chat.