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Definition 2024

fraist

fraist

English

Verb

fraist ‎(third-person singular simple present fraists, present participle fraisting, simple past and past participle fraisted)

  1. (transitive, intransitive, Britain dialectal) To try; test; prove; put to the proof; make trial (of).
    Þen found he no frekes to fraist on his strenght. — Destruction of Troy, 1540
  2. (transitive, Britain dialectal) To learn by trial; experience.
  3. (transitive, obsolete) To seek to learn; ask; inquire.
  4. (transitive, obsolete) To seek; be eager for; desire.
  5. (intransitive, obsolete) To go forth on an expedition; sally forth.

Related terms

Middle English

Noun

fraist (plural fraists)

  1. A test; test of strength or will power; an attack
    Þis castel es of loue and grace..Of enmye dredis it na fraist. — Cursor Mundi

Etymology

From Middle English fraisten, freisten, frasten, from Old Norse freista ‎(“to try, tempt, make trial of”), from Proto-Germanic *fraistōną ‎(“to try”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- ‎(“to try, risk”). Cognate with Icelandic freista ‎(“to tempt”), Swedish fresta ‎(“to try, tempt, tantalise”), Danish friste ‎(“to try, tempt”), Old English frāsian ‎(“to ask, inquire, tempt, try”). More at fraise.

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