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Webster 1913 Edition

Fray

Fray

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Frayed
(frād)
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Fraying
.]
[See 1st
Fray
, and cf.
Affray
.]
To frighten; to terrify; to alarm.
I. Taylor.
What
frays
ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayed?
Spenser.

Fray

,
Verb.
T.
[Cf. OF.
fraier
. See
Defray
,
Verb.
T.
]
To bear the expense of; to defray.
[Obs.]
The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients
frayed
, I shall acknowledge myself amply satisfied.
Massinger.

Fray

,
Verb.
T.
[OF.
freier
,
fraier
,
froier
, to rub. L.
fricare
; cf.
friare
to crumble, E.
friable
; perh. akin to Gr.
χρίειν
to anoint,
χρῖσμα
an anointing, Skr.
ghṛsh
to rub, scratch. Cf.
Friction
.]
To rub; to wear off, or wear into shreds, by rubbing; to fret, as cloth;
as, a deer is said to
fray
her head
.

Fray

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To rub.
We can show the marks he made
When ’gainst the oak his antlers
frayed
.
Sir W. Scott.
2.
To wear out or into shreads, or to suffer injury by rubbing, as when the threads of the warp or of the woof wear off so that the cross threads are loose; to ravel;
as, the cloth
frays
badly
.
A suit of
frayed
magnificience.
tennyson.

Fray

,
Noun.
A fret or chafe, as in cloth; a place injured by rubbing.

Webster 1828 Edition

Fray

FRAY

,
Noun.
[L. fractura, from frango, frico.]
1.
A boil, quarrel or violent riot, that puts men in fear. This is the vulgar word for affray, and the sense seems to refer the word to Fr. effrayer.
2.
A combat; a battle; also, a single combat or duel.
3.
A contest; contention.
4.
A rub; a fret or chafe in cloth; a place injured by rubbing.

FRAY

,
Verb.
T.
To fright; to terrify. Obs.

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