fray

1. (intransitive)Examples: "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."Synonyms: frazzlearchaicintransitiveobsolete

1. (transitive)Examples: "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; […]"Synonyms: affray, effrayarchaicobsoletetransitive

2. (transitive)Examples: "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."Synonyms: affrayarchaicobsoletetransitive

3. (transitive)archaicbroadlyobsoletetransitive

4. (transitive)Examples: "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; […]"archaicbroadlyobsoletetransitive

5. (intransitive)archaicintransitiveobsolete

6. (intransitive)Examples: "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; […]"archaicintransitiveobsolete

1. (countable) A noisy commotion, especially resulting from fighting; a brawl, a fight; also, a loud quarrel.Examples: "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."archaiccountableobsolete

2. (countable, figuratively) A heated argument; a war of words.archaiccountablefigurativelyobsolete

3. (uncountable) Conflict, disagreement.Examples: "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], […]"archaicobsoleteuncountable

4. (obsolete)Synonyms: affrayarchaiccountableobsolete

5. (obsolete)Examples: "Where window is open, cat maketh a fray, / yet wilde cat with two legs is worse by my fay."archaiccountableobsolete

6. (obsolete)Examples: "Thus that fray vvas over, and vve came aſhore again: recovered of the fright vve had been in."Synonyms: affrayarchaicobsoleteuncountable

1. (transitive, obsolete, rare) To bear the expense of (something); to defray.Examples: "[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."archaicobsoleteraretransitive