[f. FRET sb.3] trans. To furnish (a guitar, etc.) with frets. Hence Fretted ppl. a.

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1600.  Rowlands, Let. Humours Blood, 5.

        While you your selues like musicke sounding Lutes,
Fretted and strunge, gaine them their silken sutes.

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1602.  Shaks., Ham., III. ii. 388 [Punning use]. Call me what Instrument you will, though you can fret me, you cannot play vpon me.

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1647.  Ward, The Simple Cobler of Aggawam in America, 39. Instruments may be well made and well strung, but if they be not well fretted, the Musique is marred.

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1689.  Lond. Gaz., No. 2437/4. All sorts of fretted Instruments, especially Lutes and Viols.

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1874.  Knight, Dict. Mech., II. 1031. An instrument having the fretted neck of the former [the guitar].

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