Obs.: merged in FRET v.1 3–13. [Of difficult etymology.

1

  It might satisfactorily be explained as a. OF. *freiter = mod. F. dial. fretter, Pr. fretar, It. frettare:—vulgar L. *frictāre, freq. of L. fricāre to rub; but the OF. form has not been found. Cf. the synonymous OF. froter (F. frotter), which, in spite of phonological difficulties, some scholars connect with this group.]

2

  1.  trans. To rub, chafe. Also with away. Causatively: To make pass by rubbing; to cause (a keel) to graze.

3

13[?].  Minor Poems fr. Vernon MS., xxxii. 977.

          Þe þridde is penaunce to biginne,
Þat freteþ a-wei þe fulþe of synne.

4

c. 1375.  Sc. Leg. Saints, Clemens, 283.

        þai fretyt þare facis þane [faciem confricantes]
fore ferly & þis speke be-gane.

5

c. 1450.  Two Cookery-bks., 113. Nym appeles, seth hem, let hem kele, frete hem thorwe an her syue.

6

1483.  Cath. Angl., 143/1. To Frete; fricare … to rubbe.

7

a. 1547.  Surrey, in Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 27.

        Of thy lyfe, Thomas, this compasse well mark:
Not aye with full sayles the hye seas to beat:
Ne by coward dred, in shonning stormes dark,
On shalow shores thy keel in perill freat.

8

1653.  H. Cogan, trans. Diod. Sic., 127. The inhabitants come to know this Tree, aswell by the Elephants rubbing and fretting it, as by his dung about it.

9

1705.  Lond. Gaz., No. 4179/4. The Hair fretted short about the middle of her Mane.

10

  fig.  1581.  Lambarde, Eirenarcha, IV. xix. (1588), 602. The one of these Statutes doth not fret the other.

11

  b.  Of a bird: To preen (feathers).

12

1423.  Jas. I., Kingis Q., xxxv.

          And freschly in thaire birdis kynd arraid
Thaire fetheris new, and fret thame In the sonne.

13

  2.  intr. To rub, produce friction; to fray out.

14

1643.  Fuller, Inaug. Serm., 22–3. That his curtesies might not unravell or fret out, hath bound them with a strong border, and a rich fringe, a Trienniall Parliament.

15

1660.  Sharrock, Vegetables, 147. This order likewise sets out the Boughs and Branches of each Tree into such positions, that one may not easily fret upon another, or gall its neighbor, but grow in a distinct room.

16

1692.  Capt. Smith, Seaman’s Gram., I. xvi. 81. To Serve a Rope, is to wind something about it, to keep it from fretting out.

17

1768–74.  Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 587. A noble ardour taking off the weight of difficulties, so that they may not fret upon the shoulders.

18

  3.  a. ? To have dealings with (cf. F. se frotter avec). b. ? To conflict, offend against. Obs.

19

  (The interpretation of the words in these passages, and their identity with the present verb, are very doubtful.)

20

c. 1400.  Destr. Troy, 12845.

        Hetis hom hertely to haue all hor hert wille,
Of ffredom, & ffranches; fret with hom so,
And all your will shall ye wyn, & no wegh harme.

21

1435.  Misyn, Fire of Love, 92. Slike frenschyp is pure naturel, & þerfore meyd ne vnmeyd, bot if it oght freyt [nisi aliquid moliatur] agayn godis commament, it is worþi.

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