fray 1
/fray/ , n.
1. a fight, battle, or skirmish.
2. a competition or contest, esp. in sports.
3. a noisy quarrel or brawl.
4. Archaic. fright.
v.t.
5. Archaic. to frighten.
v.i.
6. Archaic. to fight or brawl.
[ 1250-1300; ME frai; aph. var. of AFFRAY ]
fray 2
/fray/ , v.t.
1. to wear (cloth, rope, etc.) to loose, raveled threads or fibers at the edge or end; cause to ravel out.
2. to wear by rubbing (sometimes fol. by through ).
3. to cause strain on (something); upset; discompose: The argument frayed their nerves.
4. to rub.
v.i.
5. to become frayed, as cloth; ravel out: My sweater frayed at the elbows.
6. to rub against something: tall grass fraying against my knees.
n.
7. a frayed part, as in cloth: frays at the toes of well-worn sneakers.
[ 1375-1425; late ME fraien frayer, freiier to rub fricare. See FRICTION ]