51³Ô¹Ï

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fray

1

[ frey ]

noun

  1. a fight, battle, or skirmish.

    Synonyms: , , , , , ,

  2. a competition or contest, especially in sports.

    Synonyms: , , ,

  3. a noisy quarrel or brawl.

    Synonyms: , , , , , , , , , ,

  4. Archaic. fright.


verb (used with object)

  1. Archaic. to frighten.

verb (used without object)

  1. Archaic. to fight or brawl.

fray

2

[ frey ]

verb (used with object)

  1. to wear (cloth, rope, etc.) to loose, raveled threads or fibers at the edge or end; cause to ravel out:

    Our old washing machine frayed all of our towels.

    Synonyms: , ,

  2. to wear by rubbing (sometimes followed by through ).
  3. to cause strain on (something); upset; discompose:

    All that arguing is fraying my nerves.

    Synonyms: , ,

  4. to rub.

verb (used without object)

  1. to wear into loose, raveled threads or fibers, as cloth; ravel out:

    My sweater frayed at the elbows.

  2. to become strained or stressed:

    Jealousy could be a sign that your relationship is fraying.

  3. to rub against something:

    tall grass fraying against my knees.

noun

  1. a raveled or worn part, as in cloth:

    frays at the toes of well-worn sneakers.

fray

1

/ ´Ú°ù±ðɪ /

noun

  1. a noisy quarrel
  2. a fight or brawl
  3. an archaic word for fright
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. tr to frighten
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

fray

2

/ ´Ú°ù±ðɪ /

verb

  1. to wear or cause to wear away into tatters or loose threads, esp at an edge or end
  2. to make or become strained or irritated
  3. to rub or chafe (another object) or (of two objects) to rub against one another
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

  1. a frayed place, as in cloth
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged†2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Other 51³Ô¹Ï Forms

  • frayed adjective
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of fray1

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English frai; shortening of affray

Origin of fray2

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English fraien, from Old French frayer, freiier “to rub,†from Latin ´Ú°ù¾±³¦Äå°ù±ð; friction
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51³Ô¹Ï History and Origins

Origin of fray1

C14: short for affray

Origin of fray2

C14: from French frayer to rub, from Latin ´Ú°ù¾±³¦Äå°ù±ð ; see friction , friable
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Idioms and Phrases

see enter the lists (fray) .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"Once greed and secrets take hold, the fabric of any society, including a family, begins to fray," he adds.

From

Yet even as they were rewriting the rules of pop music, the dynamic between the two began to fray, especially after the death of their manager Brian Epstein.

From

UN peacekeepers are there trying to safeguard a peace deal that is fraying at the edges, with warnings the world's newest country is about to plunge into another civil war.

From

In some cases, it’s all internalized; they’re so into being “above the fray†that they’re unwilling to render judgments that might alienate Trump and his voters and subject them to accusations of having “taken sides.â€

From

We were promised lower bills, better infrastructure, less red tape and investment in a system fraying at the edges.

From

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Related 51³Ô¹Ïs

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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