fret

¹

[ fret ]

verb (used without object)

, fret·ted, fret·ting.

1. to feel or express worry, annoyance, discontent, or the like:

   Fretting about the lost ring isn't going to help.

   Synonyms: rage, fume

2. to cause corrosion; gnaw into something:

   acids that fret at the strongest metals.

3. to make a way by gnawing, corrosion, wearing away, etc.:

   The river frets at its banks until a new channel is formed.

4. to become eaten, worn, or corroded (often followed by away ):

   Limestone slowly frets away under pounding by the wind and rain.

5. to move in agitation or commotion, as water:

   water fretting over the stones of a brook.

verb (used with object)

, fret·ted, fret·ting.

1. to torment; irritate, annoy, or vex:

   You mustn't fret yourself about that.

   Synonyms: tease, goad, harass, worry

2. to wear away or consume by gnawing, friction, rust, corrosives, etc.:

   the ocean fretting its shores.

   Synonyms: rub, grind, abrade, corrode, gnaw, erode

3. to form or make by wearing away a substance:

   The river had fretted an underground passage.

4. to agitate (water):

   Strong winds were fretting the channel.

noun

1. an irritated state of mind; annoyance; vexation.

   Synonyms: worry, agitation, harassment

2. Now Rare.
   1. a wearing away; erosion; corrosion.
   2. a worn or eroded place.

fret

²

[ fret ]

noun

1. an interlaced, angular design; fretwork.
2. an angular design of bands within a border.
3. Heraldry. a charge composed of two diagonal strips interlacing with and crossing at the center of a mascle.
4. a piece of decoratively pierced work placed in a clock case to deaden the sound of the mechanism.

verb (used with object)

, fret·ted, fret·ting.

1. to ornament with a fret or fretwork.

fret

³

[ fret ]

noun

1. any of the ridges of wood, metal, or string, set across the fingerboard of a guitar, lute, or similar instrument, which help the fingers to stop the strings at the correct points.

verb (used with object)

, fret·ted, fret·ting.

1. to provide with frets.

fret

¹

/ frɛt /

verb

1. to distress or be distressed; worry
2. to rub or wear away
3. to irritate or be irritated; feel or give annoyance or vexation
4. to eat away or be eaten away by chemical action; corrode
5. intr (of a road surface) to become loose so that potholes develop; scab
6. to agitate (water) or (of water) to be agitated
7. tr to make by wearing away; erode

noun

1. a state of irritation or anxiety
2. the result of fretting; corrosion
3. a hole or channel caused by fretting

fret

²

/ frɛt /

noun

1. See sea fret
   short for sea fret

fret

³

/ frɛt /

noun

1. any of several small metal bars set across the fingerboard of a musical instrument of the lute, guitar, or viol family at various points along its length so as to produce the desired notes when the strings are stopped by the fingers

fret

⁴

/ frɛt /

noun

1. a repetitive geometrical figure, esp one used as an ornamental border
2. such a pattern made in relief and with numerous small openings; fretwork
3. heraldry a charge on a shield consisting of a mascle crossed by a saltire

verb

1. tr to ornament with fret or fretwork

Derived Forms

• ˈfretless, adjective
• ˈfretless, adjective

Other Words From

• fretter noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of fret¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English freten, freoten, vreten “to eat up, consume greedily, devour,” Old English fretan “to eat up, consume, devour”; cognate with Old Saxon fretan, Gothic fra-itan, Old High German frezzan ( German fressen “to feed, devour”), from Germanic fra-etan, equivalent to fra- for- ( def ) + etan eat ( def )

Origin of fret²

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English fret, frette, probably from Old French frete “trelliswork,” possibly from a Germanic source; compare Old English frættewian, frætwian, fretwian “to adorn, embroider, trim”

Origin of fret³

First recorded in 1490–1500; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of fret¹

Old English fretan to eat ; related to Old High German frezzan , Gothic fraitan , Latin peredere

Origin of fret²

C16: of unknown origin

Origin of fret³

C14: from Old French frete interlaced design used on a shield, probably of Germanic origin

Example Sentences

There is however a not-paranoid or market-driven reason to fret, albeit a VERY small one.

From The Daily Beast

Even assuming Wyoming is safe, however, Republicans are right to fret.

From The Daily Beast

In recent weeks, it has been fashionable (and even rational) to fret about the U.S. industrial economy.

From The Daily Beast

Not to fret—The Daily Beast breaks down the talking points that will keep things civil while eating your turkey.

From The Daily Beast

The “all clear” for many of the 10,000 possibly exposed campers will not be given till early October—a long time to fret.

From The Daily Beast

Rose, l. 4705, And through the fret full, read A trouthe fret full.'

From Project Gutenberg

Hence were, in the next line, must mean to wear away, to fret; cf. note to 4712.

From Project Gutenberg

Strange to say, to the astonishment of all but Lucy, young Mrs. Haggard continued to "fret."

From Project Gutenberg

Davie would be well away, for he would fret about his grandmother, and that would do neither of them any good.

From Project Gutenberg

And the woman laughed, and said, Truly, thou doest ill to fret thyself for such a matter.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agonize
• bother
• brood
• carp
• chafe
• fume
• fuss
• grieve