Fray vs. Affray

Frayverb

(ambitransitive) To (cause to) unravel; used particularly for the edge of something made of cloth, or the end of a rope.

Frayverb

To cause exhaustion, wear out (a person's mental strength).

Frayverb

frighten; alarm

Frayverb

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

Frayverb

(intransitive) To rub.

Fraynoun

A fight or argument

Fraynoun

(archaic) Fright.

Fraynoun

An angry quarrel; an affray; contest; combat; broil.

Fraynoun

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

Frayverb

To frighten; to terrify; to alarm.

Frayverb

To bear the expense of; to defray.

Frayverb

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

Frayverb

To rub.

Frayverb

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.

Fraynoun

a noisy fight

Frayverb

wear away by rubbing;

Frayverb

cause friction;

Affrayverb

To startle from quiet; to alarm.

Affrayverb

To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

Affraynoun

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

Affraynoun

A tumultuous assault or quarrel.

Affraynoun

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

Affraynoun

(obsolete) Terror.

Affrayverb

To startle from quiet; to alarm.

Affrayverb

To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

Affraynoun

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

Affraynoun

Alarm; terror; fright.

Affraynoun

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

Affraynoun

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

Affraynoun

noisy quarrel

Affraynoun

a noisy fight

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.