Meaning

noun acting like a clown or buffoon

noun a ludicrous or grotesque act done for fun and amusement

verb dress or decorate showily or gaudily

originOrigin uncertain. Perhaps from Middle English pranken (“to adorn, arrange one's attire”), probably from Middle Dutch pronken, proncken (“to flaunt, make a show, arrange one's attire”), related to German prangen (“to make a show, be resplendent”), Dutch prangen (“to squeeze, press”), Danish pragt (“pomp, splendor”), all from Proto-Germanic *pranganą, *prangijaną, *prag- (“to press, squeeze,…

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 3.0