fray Definition

fray¹
verb, tr & intr frayed, fraying

1. Said of cloth or rope: to wear away along an edge or at a point of friction, so that individual threads come loose.

Example: The rope frayed over a number of months, and was badly frayed when it broke
2. Said of tempers, nerves, etc: to make or become edgy and strained.

Example: Tempers started fraying just before midnight

Etymology: 18c in this sense; 15c in obsolete sense referring to deer rubbing velvet off their antlers: from French frayer, from Latin fricare to rub.

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fray²
noun frays

1. A fight, quarrel or argument.

Thesaurus: fight, battle, brawl, riot, scuffle, row, ruckus, combat, quarrel, melee, free-for-all, rumble (US).
2. Any scene of lively action.

Etymology: 14c: short for affray.