Francis Ferdinand: Meaning and Definition of

Fran'cis Fer'dinand

Pronunciation: [key]
  1. 1863–1914, archduke of Austria: heir apparent to the thrones of Austria and Hungary whose assassination precipitated the outbreak of World War I (nephew of Francis Joseph I). German,
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.