/ fret; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
( -tt- ) ( especially BrE ) fret (about / over sth) to be worried or unhappy and not able to relax :
[ v ]
Fretting about it won't help.
Her baby starts to fret as soon as she goes out of the room.
[also vn , v that ]
■ noun
1.
one of the bars on the long thin part of a guitar , etc. Frets show you where to press the strings with your fingers to produce particular sounds.
—picture at guitar
2.
(also ˈsea fret ) ( NEngE ) mist or fog that comes in from the sea
••
WORD ORIGIN
verb Old English fretan devour, consume , of Germanic origin; related to Dutch vreten and German fressen , and ultimately to eat .
noun sense 1 early 16th cent.: of unknown origin.
noun sense 2 mid 19th cent.: of unknown origin.