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Fray vs. Affray — What's the Difference?

Fray vs. Affray — What's the Difference?

Difference Between Fray and Affray

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Fray

A fight; a brawl.

Affray

In many legal jurisdictions related to English common law, affray is a public order offence consisting of the fighting of one or more persons in a public place to the terror (in French: à l'effroi) of ordinary people. Depending on their actions, and the laws of the prevailing jurisdiction, those engaged in an affray may also render themselves liable to prosecution for assault, unlawful assembly, or riot; if so, it is for one of these offences that they are usually charged.

Fray

A heated dispute or intensely competitive situation
"Minneapolis became the latest battleground in the fray over bio-engineering as hundreds of protesters took to the streets" (Todd Wilkinson).

Affray

A noisy quarrel or brawl.

Fray

A military engagement; a battle.
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Affray

To frighten.

Fray

A frayed or threadbare spot, as on fabric.

Affray

To startle from quiet; to alarm.

Fray

To alarm; frighten.

Affray

To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

Fray

To drive away.

Affray

The act of suddenly disturbing anyone; an assault or attack.

Fray

To strain; chafe
Repeated noises that fray the nerves.

Affray

A tumultuous assault or quarrel.

Fray

To wear away (the edges of fabric, for example) by rubbing.

Affray

The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
The affray in the busy marketplace caused great terror and disorder.

Fray

To become worn away or tattered along the edges.

Affray

(obsolete) Terror.

Fray

(transitive)

Affray

To startle from quiet; to alarm.
Smale foules a great heapThat had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep.

Fray

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.

Affray

To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.
That voice doth us affray.

Fray

To force or make (a path, way, etc.) through.

Affray

The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.

Fray

(obsolete) To bruise (someone or something); also, to take the virginity of (someone, usually a female person); to deflower.

Affray

Alarm; terror; fright.

Fray

(intransitive)

Affray

A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray.

Fray

To become unravelled or worn; to unravel.
The laces frayed at the cut end.

Affray

The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.

Fray

To rub.

Affray

Noisy quarrel

Fray

(figuratively) Of a person's mental strength, nerves, temper, etc.: to become exhausted or worn out.
The hectic day ended in her nerves frayed.

Affray

A noisy fight

Fray

(transitive)

Fray

To alarm or frighten (someone or something).

Fray

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

Fray

(by extension)

Fray

(intransitive)

Fray

To be afraid or frightened; to fear.

Fray

To make an assault or attack; also, to create a disturbance; to brawl, to fight.

Fray

To bear the expense of (something); to defray.

Fray

A consequence of rubbing, unravelling, or wearing away; a fraying; also, a place where fraying has occurred.

Fray

(countable) 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.

Fray

A heated argument; a war of words.

Fray

(uncountable) Conflict, disagreement.

Fray

(obsolete)

Fray

(countable) An assault or attack.

Fray

(countable) A loud noise; a cacophony, a din.

Fray

Fright, terror; (countable) an instance of this.

Fray

An angry quarrel; an affray; contest; combat; broil.
Who began this bloody fray?

Fray

A fret or chafe, as in cloth; a place injured by rubbing.

Fray

To frighten; to terrify; to alarm.
What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayed?

Fray

To bear the expense of; to defray.
The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients frayed, I shall acknowledge myself amply satisfied.

Fray

To rub; to wear off, or wear into shreds, by rubbing; to fret, as cloth; as, a deer is said to fray her head.

Fray

To rub.
We can show the marks he madeWhen 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed.

Fray

To wear out or into shreads, or to suffer injury by rubbing, as when the threads of the warp or of the woof wear off so that the cross threads are loose; to ravel; as, the cloth frays badly.
A suit of frayed magnificience.

Fray

A noisy fight

Fray

Wear away by rubbing;
The friction frayed the sleeve

Fray

Cause friction;
My sweater scratches

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