I. fret 1 /fret/ BrE AmE verb ( past tense and past participle fretted , present participle fretting ) [intransitive]
[ Language: Old English ; Origin: fretan 'to eat' ]
to worry about something, especially when there is no need:
Don’t fret – everything will be all right.
fret about/over
She’s always fretting about the children.
fret that
men of fifty, fretting that they’re no longer young
II. fret 2 BrE AmE noun
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Origin: Probably from Old French frete 'metal band' ]
[countable] one of the raised lines on the fretboard of a ↑ guitar etc