fray
/fɹeɪ/ verb, noun, proper noun
Forms frays fraying frayed frayest frayedst frayeth
- verb (also figuratively) To rub or wear away (something); to cause (something made of strands twisted or woven together, such as cloth or rope) to unravel through friction; also, to irritate (something) through chafing or rubbing; to chafe.
- verb (specifically) Of a deer: to rub (its antlers or head) against a tree, etc., to remove the velvet from antlers or to mark territory; also, to rub its antlers against (a tree, etc.) for that purpose.
- verb To force or make (a path, way, etc.) through.
- verb (obsolete) To bruise (someone or something); also, to take the virginity of (someone, usually a female person); to deflower.
- verb To become unravelled or worn; to unravel.
- verb To rub.
- verb (specifically) Of a deer: to rub its antlers against a tree, etc., to remove the velvet or to mark territory.
- verb (figuratively) Of a person's mental strength, nerves, temper, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out. “The hectic day ended in her nerves frayed.”
- noun (archaic or obsolete) A consequence of rubbing, unravelling, or wearing away; a fraying; also, a place where fraying has occurred. “The laces frayed at the cut end.”
- verb (except poetic) To alarm or frighten (someone or something).
- verb Often followed by away, off, or out: to frighten or scare (someone or something) away.
- verb To assail or attack (someone or something); to drive (someone or something) away by attacking.
- verb To chase (someone or something) away; to disperse.
- verb To be afraid or frightened; to fear.
- verb To make an assault or attack; also, to create a disturbance; to brawl, to fight.
- noun (countable) A noisy commotion, especially resulting from fighting; a brawl, a fight; also, a loud quarrel. “Though they did not know the reason for the dispute, they did not hesitate to leap into the fray.”
- noun (countable, figuratively) A heated argument; a war of words.
- noun (uncountable) Conflict, disagreement.
- noun (countable) An assault or attack.
- noun (countable) A loud noise; a cacophony, a din.
Synonyms
frazzle affray effray disturbance ruffle rub fret chafe scratch
Etymology
The verb is derived from Late Middle English fraien (“to beat so as to cause bruising, to bruise; to crush; to rub; to wear, wear off”), borrowed from Old French fraier, freier, freiier (modern French frayer (“to clear, open up (a path, etc.); (figuratively) to find one’s way through (something); (obsolete) to rub”)), from Latin fricāre, the present active infinitive of fricō (“to chafe; to rub”), an intensive form of friō (“to break into pieces, crumble; to rub”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰreyH- (“to cut”). Sense 1.2 (“to force or make (a path, way, etc.) through”) is derived from modern French frayer: see above.
The noun is derived from the verb.
From Late Middle English fraien (“to attack, invade; to make an attack; to brawl, fight; to make a loud noise (?); to frighten, terrify; to be frightened of (something), fear”), an aphetic variant of affraien (“to attack, invade; to harass; to brawl, fight; to riot; to reproach; to frighten, terrify; to be frightened of (something), fear; to alarm, disturb; to arouse, awaken, excite”) (whence affray), from Anglo-Norman affraier, afrayer (“to frighten, terrify; to disquiet; to disturb”) [and other forms], a variant of effreier, esfreier [and other forms], and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to frighten, scare; to be afraid”) [and other forms] (modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfridāre, from Latin ex- (prefix indicating privation) + Frankish *friþu (“peace”) (from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, tranquility; refuge, sanctuary”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *preyH- (“to love; to please”)).
From Late Middle English frai (“an assault, attack; a brawl, fight; disturbance, uproar; fine for assault or breach of the peace”), an aphetic variant of affrai, effrai (“an assault, attack; a brawl, fight; disturbance, uproar; public disturbance, riot; dismay; fear; something frightening”), then:
* from affraien (verb); and
* from Anglo-Norman affrai, affrei [and other forms], a variant of effray, effrei, esfrei, esfroi, Middle French effray, esfroi, and Old French effrei, esfrei, esfroi (“breach of the peace, disturbance; noise; dread, terror”) (modern French effroi (“(literary) dread, terror”)), from Old French effreer, esfreer (verb).
See further at etymology 2.
An aphetic variant of defray.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Affray; broil; contest; combat.
- verb To frighten; to terrify; to alarm. I. Taylor.
- verb To bear the expense of; to defray. [Obs.]
- verb To rub; to wear off, or wear into shreds, by rubbing; to fret, as cloth; as, a deer is said to fray her head.
Etymology [Abbreviated from affray.]
Etymology [See 1st Fray, and cf. Affray.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “fray”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details