- The definition of a fret is a worry or an annoyance.
An example of fret is the fear of living by one's self for the first time.
- Fret is defined as to feel worry or annoyance about something.
An example of fret is to fear a move into college.
A woman fretting about something.
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- to eat away; gnaw
- to wear away by gnawing, rubbing, corroding, etc.
- to make or form by wearing away
- to make rough; disturb: wind fretting the water
- to irritate; vex; annoy; worry
Origin: Middle English freten ; from Old English fretan, to devour, akin to German fressen, Gothic fra-itan ; from Germanic prefix an unverified form fra- (OE for-: see for-) plush an unverified form itan, to eat (OE etan: see eat)
- to gnaw (into, on, or upon)
- to become eaten, corroded, worn, frayed, etc.
- to become rough or disturbed
- to be irritated, annoyed, or querulous; worry
- a wearing away
- a worn place
- irritation; worry
Related Forms:
- fretter noun
- an ornamental net or network, esp. one formerly worn by women as a headdress
- an ornamental pattern of small, straight bars intersecting or joining one another, usually at right angles, to form a regular design, as for a border or in an architectural relief
Origin: Middle English frette, probably merging of Old French frete (Fr frette), interlaced work, with Old English frætwa, ornament (from source uncertain or unknown; perhaps Old French frete)
Origin: Old French frette, a band, ferrule
Related Forms:
- fretless adjective
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
verb fret·ted, fret·ting, frets verb, transitive
- To cause to be uneasy; vex: “fret thy soul with crosses and with cares” (Edmund Spenser).
- a. To gnaw or wear away; erode.b. To produce a hole or worn spot in; corrode. See Synonyms at chafe.
- To form (a passage or channel) by erosion.
- To disturb the surface of (water or a stream); agitate.
- To be vexed or troubled; worry. See Synonyms at brood.
- To be worn or eaten away; become corroded.
- To move agitatedly.
- To gnaw with the teeth in the manner of a rodent.
- The act or an instance of fretting.
- A hole or worn spot made by abrasion or erosion.
- Irritation of mind; agitation.
Origin: Middle English freten, from Old English fretan, to devour; see ed- in Indo-European roots.
noun
- To provide with frets.
- To press (the strings of an instrument) against the frets.
Origin: Origin unknown.
noun
- An ornamental design consisting of repeated and symmetrical geometric figures, often in relief, contained within a band or border. Also called key pattern.
- A headdress, worn by women of the Middle Ages, consisting of interlaced wire.
Origin: Middle English, interlaced work, from Old French frete.
fret3
fret designs