v. t. [ OF. freier, fraier, froier, to rub. L. fricare; cf. friare to crumble, E. friable; perh. akin to Gr. chri`ein to anoint, chri^sma an anointing, Skr. gh&rsdot_;sh to rub, scratch. Cf. Friction. ] To rub; to wear off, or wear into shreds, by rubbing; to fret, as cloth; as, a deer is said to fray her head. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. OF. fraier. See Defray, v. t. ] To bear the expense of; to defray. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients frayed, I shall acknowledge myself amply satisfied. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fret or chafe, as in cloth; a place injured by rubbing. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To rub. [ 1913 Webster ]

We can show the marks he made
When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. 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. [ 1913 Webster ]

A suit of frayed magnificience. tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Frayed p. pr. & vb. n. Fraying. ] [ See 1st Fray, and cf. Affray. ] To frighten; to terrify; to alarm. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayed? Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Abbreviated from affray. ] An angry quarrel; an affray; contest; combat; broil. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Who began this bloody fray? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The skin which a deer frays from his horns. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]