fray

verb

1. (also, figuratively, transitive)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.

   “S. Paul alſo defineth the law to be the knowlege of ſyn, yͭ is, which accuſeth, frayeth the cõſcience, & maketh ſynnes knowen.”

   “[W]ith the help of her consorts, [she] carried off the following goods of her said lady; viz. […] four striped muslin night-rails very little frayed; […]”

   “Everything told of long use and quiet slow decay; the very bell-rope in the porch was frayed into a fringe, and hoary with old age.”

   “It was a little past mid-day when the four-horse stage-coach by which I was a passenger, got into the ravel of traffic frayed out about the Cross-Keys, Wood-street, Cheapside, London.”

2. (also, figuratively, specifically, transitive)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.
3. (transitive)To force or make (a path, way, etc.) through.
4. (obsolete, transitive)To bruise (someone or something); also, to take the virginity of (someone, usually a female person); to deflower.

   “[T]his ſame Ladie Dryopee, the fayreſt Ladye tho / In all the land of Oechalye. Whom beeing then no mayd / (For why the God of Delos and of Delphos had her frayd) / Andræmon taketh too hys wyfe, and thinkes him well apayd.”

5. (intransitive)To become unravelled or worn; to unravel.
6. (intransitive)To rub.

   “Another distance, I do not know how far, of dry dark heather continually fraying against my knees, is traversed, when in front appears a coombe, overgrown with heather from summit to foot, and I stop suddenly.”

7. (intransitive, specifically)To rub.

   “His [a hart's] head when it commeth firſt out, hath a ruſſet pyll vpon it, the which is called Veluet,[…]. When his head is growne out to the full bigneſſe, then he rubbeth of that pyll, and that is called fraying of his head.”

   “And foresters have busy been, / To track the buck in thicket green; / […] / We can shew the marks he made, / When ’gainst the oak his antlers fray’d; […]”

   “Towards the end of July the harbourer begins to look round after the stags and notice their whereabouts. They are then fraying, rubbing the velvet off their new horns against the trees. He observes where the signs of fraying first appear, indicating that a full-grown stag is in the neighbourhood, as the best stags usually fray earliest.”

8. (figuratively, intransitive)Of a person's mental strength, nerves, temper, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out.

   “The hectic day ended in her nerves frayed.”

9. (archaic, obsolete, transitive)To alarm or frighten (someone or something).

   “VVhy Dame (quoth he) vvhat hath ye thus diſmayd? / VVhat frayes ye, that vvere vvont to comfort me affrayd?”

   “But ſoone as they approcht vvith deadly threat, / The Palmer ouer them his ſtaffe vpheld, / […] Inſtead of fraying, they them ſelues did feare, / And trembled, as them paſſing they beheld: / Such vvondrous povvre did in that ſtaffe appeare, / All monſters to ſubdevv to him, that did it beare.”

   “When every least commander’s will, best soldiers had obey’d, / And both the hosts were rang’d for fight, the Trojans would have fray’d / The Greeks with noises; crying out, in coming rudely on / At all parts, like the cranes that fill with harsh confusion / Of brutish clangour all the air; […]”

   “[M]y warnings fray / No one, and no one they convert, / And no one helps me to assert / How hard it is to really be / A Christian, and in vacancy / I pour this story!”

10. (archaic, obsolete, transitive)Often followed by away, off, or out: to frighten or scare (someone or something) away.

    “VVhat, are the turtles fraid out of their neaſts?”

    “And the carkeiſes of this people ſhall be meate for the fowles of the heauen, and for the beaſts of the earth, and none ſhall fray them away.”

    “It [the basilisk] frayeth avvay other Serpents vvith the hiſſing.”

    “Beſides, all the vvit and Philoſophy in the vvorld can never demonſtrate, that the killing and ſlaughtering of a Beaſt is any more then the ſtriking of a Buſh vvhere a birds Neſt is, vvhere you fray avvay the Bird, and then ſeize upon the empty Neſt.”

    “Whoso casteth a stone at the birds frayeth them away; and he that upbraideth his friend, breaketh friendship.”

11. (archaic, broadly, obsolete, transitive)To assail or attack (someone or something); to drive (someone or something) away by attacking.
12. (archaic, broadly, obsolete, transitive)To chase (someone or something) away; to disperse.

    “And this is it, that frayeth men from Chriſt, becauſe they are loath to vunder go his burthen and yoke, to caſt of the world, & leuing thẽſeluen behind thẽ to follow Chriſt.”

    “Svveet Phoſpher bring the day, / Thy light vvill fray / Theſe horrid Miſts; […]”

13. (archaic, intransitive, obsolete)To be afraid or frightened; to fear.
14. (archaic, intransitive, obsolete)To make an assault or attack; also, to create a disturbance; to brawl, to fight.

    “Then next is the Clinke, a Goale or Priſon for the Treſpaſſers in thoſe parts, namely, in old time for ſuch as ſhould brabble, fray, or break the peace on the ſaid Bank, or in the Brothel Houſes; […]”

15. (archaic, obsolete, rare, transitive)To bear the expense of (something); to defray.

    “[T]he charge of my moſt curious, and coſtly ingredients fraide, amounting to ſome ſeaventeene thouſand crovvnes, a trifle in reſpect of health, vvriting your noble name in my Catalogue, I ſhall acknovvledge my ſelfe amply ſatisfi'd.”

noun

1. (archaic, intransitive, obsolete)A consequence of rubbing, unravelling, or wearing away; a fraying; also, a place where fraying has occurred.

   “The laces frayed at the cut end.”

   “"And pray, sir, what do [you] think of Miss Morland's gown?" / "It is very pretty, madam," said he, gravely examining it; "but I do not think it will wash well; I am afraid it will fray."”

   “[T]here's no woman made without a flaw; / Your purest lawns have frays, and cambrics bracks.”

   “'Tis like a Lawnie-Firmament as yet / Quite diſpoſſeſt of either fray, or fret.”

2. (archaic, countable, obsolete)A noisy commotion, especially resulting from fighting; a brawl, a fight; also, a loud quarrel.

   “Though they did not know the reason for the dispute, they did not hesitate to leap into the fray.”

   “Pry[nce]: VVhere be the vile beginners of this fray? / Ben[volio]: Ah Noble Prince I can diſcouer all / The moſt vnlucky mannage of this bravvle. / […] Pry: Speake Benuolio vvho began this fray? / Ben: Tibalt heere ſlaine vvhom Romeos hand did ſlay.”

   “I for my part have been in the fray before novv, and though (through the goodneſs of him that is beſt) I am as you ſee alive: yet I cannot boaſt of my manhood. Glad ſhall I be, if I meet vvith no more ſuch brunts, though I fear vve are not got beyond all danger.”

   “Wigan, unbeaten in five games at the DW Stadium, looked well in control but the catalyst for Arsenal's improvement finally came when [Abou] 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.”

   “Carlos Fuller, Belize’s ambassador to the UN, said: “I can understand why the king was asked not to attend – keeping him out of the fray. However, as the principal UK policymaker and the Cop26 president, the PM should have led the summit.”

3. (archaic, countable, figuratively, obsolete)A heated argument; a war of words.
4. (archaic, obsolete, uncountable)Conflict, disagreement.

   “It is the chafing of the lion, and the stirring of the viper, that aggravates the danger; the first blow makes the wrong, but the second makes the fray; and they that will endure no kind of abuse in state or church, are many times more dangerous than that abuse which they oppose.”

   “[W]hen the conteſt is by the proud Man againſt the humble Man, the ſtrife is quickly at an end: it is a true Proverb, It is the ſecond blovv makes the fray: the humble Man gives vvay to the vvrath and inſolence of the proud Man, and thereby ends the quarrel; for Yielding pacifieth vvrath, ſaith the VViſe Man [Ecclesiastes 10:4], […]”

5. (archaic, countable, obsolete)An assault or attack.
6. (archaic, countable, obsolete)A loud noise; a cacophony, a din.

   “Where window is open, cat maketh a fray, / yet wilde cat with two legs is worse by my fay.”

7. (archaic, obsolete, uncountable)Fright, terror; (countable) an instance of this.

   “Thus that fray vvas over, and vve came aſhore again: recovered of the fright vve had been in.”

name

1. A surname.