fray Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a noisy fight
    affray; disturbance; ruffle.
  2. verb wear away by rubbing
    frazzle.
    • The friction frayed the sleeve
  3. verb cause friction
    rub; chafe; scratch; fret.
    • my sweater scratches

WordNet

Fray noun
Etymology
Abbreviated from affray.
Definitions
  1. Affray; broil; contest; combat.
    Who began this bloody fray? Shak.
Fray transitive verb
Etymology
See 1st Fray, and cf. Affray.
Wordforms
imperfect & past participle Frayed ; present participle & verbal noun Fraying
Definitions
  1. To frighten; to terrify; to alarm. I. Taylor.
    What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayed? Spenser.
Fray transitive verb
Etymology
Cf. OF. fraier. See Defray, v. t.
Definitions
  1. 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 transitive verb
Etymology
OF. freier, fraier, froier, to rub. L. fricare; cf. friare to crumble, E. friable; perh. akin to Gr. to anoint, an anointing, Skr. ghsh to rub, scratch. Cf. Friction.
Definitions
  1. 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 intransitive verb
Definitions
  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
Definitions
  1. A fret or chafe, as in cloth; a place injured by rubbing.

Webster 1913