Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Fray
Fray
,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 headFray
,Verb.
I.
1.
To rub.
We can show the marks he made
When ’gainst the oak his antlers
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
badlyA 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.
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.
Definition 2024
fray
fray
English
Noun
fray (plural frays)
- Affray; broil; contest; combat; brawl; melee.
- Though they did not know the reason for the dispute, they did not hesitate to leap into the fray.
- Shakespeare
- Who began this bloody fray?
- 2010 December 29, Mark Vesty, “Wigan 2 - 2 Arsenal”, in BBC:
- Wigan, unbeaten in five games at the DW Stadium, looked well in control but the catalyst for Arsenal's improvement finally came when Diaby left the field with a calf injury and Jack Wilshere came into the fray, bringing some much needed determination and urgency to lacklustre Arsenal.
- (archaic) fright
Translations
Affray; broil; contest; combat; brawl; melee
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Etymology 2
From Middle English fraien, from Old French frayer, from Latin fricāre, present active infinitive of fricō.
Verb
fray (third-person singular simple present frays, present participle fraying, simple past and past participle frayed)
- (intransitive) To unravel; used particularly for the edge of something made of cloth, or the end of a rope.
- The ribbon frayed at the cut end.
- (intransitive, figuratively) To cause exhaustion, wear out (a person's mental strength).
- The hectic day ended in frayed nerves. (Metaphorical use; nerves are visualised as strings)
- (transitive, archaic) frighten; alarm
- 1611, Bible (KJV), Jeremiah 7:33:
- And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.
- 1662, Henry More, An Antidote Against Atheism, Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 63:
- "Besides, all the wit and Philosophy in the world can never demonstrate, that the killing and slaughtering of a Beast is anymore then the striking of a Bush where a Bird's Nest is, where you fray away the Bird, and then seize upon the empty Nest."
- Spenser
- What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayed?
- (Can we find and add a quotation of I. Taylor to this entry?)
- 1611, Bible (KJV), Jeremiah 7:33:
- (transitive) To bear the expense of; to defray.
- Massinger
- The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients frayed, I shall acknowledge myself amply satisfied.
- Massinger
- (intransitive) To rub.
- Sir Walter Scott
- We can show the marks he made / When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed.
- Sir Walter Scott
Translations
to unravel
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to cause exhaustion to a person's mental strength
to bear the expense of