fray

== English == === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: frā, IPA(key): /fɹeɪ/ Rhymes: -eɪ === Etymology 1 === 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. ==== Verb ==== fray (third-person singular simple present frays, present participle fraying, simple past and past participle frayed) (transitive) (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. (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. To force or make (a path, way, etc.) through. (obsolete) To bruise (someone or something); also, to take the virginity of (someone, usually a female person); to deflower. (intransitive) To become unravelled or worn; to unravel. Synonym: frazzle To rub. (specifically) Of a deer: to rub its antlers against a tree, etc., to remove the velvet or to mark territory. (figuratively) Of a person's mental strength, nerves, temper, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out. ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Noun ==== fray (plural frays) (archaic or obsolete) A consequence of rubbing, unravelling, or wearing away; a fraying; also, a place where fraying has occurred. === Etymology 2 === 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”)). ==== Verb ==== fray (third-person singular simple present frays, present participle fraying, simple past and past participle frayed) (archaic or obsolete) (transitive) (except poetic) To alarm or frighten (someone or something). Synonyms: (archaic) affray, (obsolete) effray Often followed by away, off, or out: to frighten or scare (someone or something) away. Synonym: (archaic) affray (by extension) To assail or attack (someone or something); to drive (someone or something) away by attacking. To chase (someone or something) away; to disperse. (intransitive) To be afraid or frightened; to fear. To make an assault or attack; also, to create a disturbance; to brawl, to fight. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== fraying (adjective, noun) ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 3 === 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. ==== Noun ==== fray (countable and uncountable, plural frays) (countable) A noisy commotion, especially resulting from fighting; a brawl, a fight; also, a loud quarrel. (countable, figuratively) A heated argument; a war of words. (uncountable) Conflict, disagreement. (obsolete) (countable) An assault or attack. Synonym: (archaic) affray (countable) A loud noise; a cacophony, a din. (except Scotland, uncountable) Fright, terror; (countable) an instance of this. Synonym: (obsolete) affray ===== Derived terms ===== above the fray frayboggard (obsolete) make-fray (obsolete) ===== Related terms ===== affray ===== Translations ===== === Etymology 4 === An aphetic variant of defray. ==== Verb ==== fray (third-person singular simple present frays, present participle fraying, simple past and past participle frayed) (transitive, obsolete, rare) To bear the expense of (something); to defray. === References === === Further reading === fray (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia == Spanish == === Etymology === Clipping of fraile (“friar”). === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈfɾai/ [ˈfɾai̯], (title before nouns) /fɾaj/ [fɾai̯] Rhymes: -ai, -aj Syllabification: fray === Noun === fray m (plural frayes) friar Synonym: fr. === References === === Further reading === “fray”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025