chafe Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun soreness and warmth caused by friction
- he had a nasty chafe on his knee
noun anger produced by some annoying irritation
annoyance; vexation.
verb become or make sore by or as if by rubbing
gall; fret.
verb feel extreme irritation or anger
- He was chafing at her suggestion that he stay at home while she went on a vacation
verb cause annoyance in; disturb, especially by minor irritations
annoy; rag; devil; bother; vex; irritate; nettle; rile; get to; nark; get at; gravel.
- Mosquitoes buzzing in my ear really bothers me
- It irritates me that she never closes the door after she leaves
verb tear or wear off the skin or make sore by abrading
excoriate.
- This leash chafes the dog's neck
verb cause friction
rub; scratch; fray; fret.
- my sweater scratches
verb warm by rubbing, as with the hands

OE. chaufen to warm, OF. chaufer, F. chauffer, fr. L. calefacere, calfacere, to make warm; calere to be warm + facere to make. See Caldron.

imperfect & past participle Chafed ; present participle & verbal noun Chafing

To ecxite heat in by friction; to rub in order to stimulate and make warm.
To rub her temples, and to chafe her skin. Spenser.
To excite passion or anger in; to fret; to irritate.
Her intercession chafed him. Shak.
To fret and wear by rubbing; as, to chafe a cable.
Two slips of parchment which she sewed round it to prevent its being chafed. Sir W. Scott.
Syn. -- To rub; fret; gall; vex; excite; inflame.

To rub; to come together so as to wear by rubbing; to wear by friction.
Made its great boughs chafe together. Longfellow.

The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores. Shak.
To be worn by rubbing; as, a cable chafes.
To have a feeling of vexation; to be vexed; to fret; to be irritated. Spenser.
He will chafe at the doctor's marrying my daughter. Shak.

Heat excited by friction.
Injury or wear caused by friction.
Vexation; irritation of mind; rage.
The cardinal in a chafe sent for him to Whitehall. Camden.