Francis Ferdinand noun 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). Liberaldictionary.com What It Really Means to Call Someone "Crude" Can You Translate These Famous Phrases From Emoji? These Are the Longest Words in English These Are the Saddest Phrases in English German Franz Ferdinand. Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019