affray
Use Affray in a sentence
noun
1.
a public fight; a noisy quarrel; brawl.
2.
Law. the fighting of two or more persons in a public place.
verb (used with object)
3.
Archaic. to frighten.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French afray (noun), afrayer (v.), Old French esfrei (noun), esfreer (v.) < Vulgar Latin *exfridāre to break the peace, equivalent to ex- ex-1 + -frid- peace (< Germanic; compare German Friede) + -āre infinitive suffix
1275–1325; Middle English < Anglo-French afray (noun), afrayer (v.), Old French esfrei (noun), esfreer (v.) < Vulgar Latin *exfridāre to break the peace, equivalent to ex- ex-1 + -frid- peace (< Germanic; compare German Friede) + -āre infinitive suffix
Synonyms
1. row, fracas, altercation, melee.
1. row, fracas, altercation, melee.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To affray
00:10
Affray
is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
| to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about. |
| to bark; yelp. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
affray (əˈfreɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | law a fight, noisy quarrel, or disturbance between two or more persons in a public place |
| —vb | |
| 2. | archaic (tr) to frighten |
| [C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin exfridāre (unattested) to break the peace; compare German Friede peace] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
affray
c.1300, "state of alarm produced by a sudden disturbance," from O.Fr. effrei, esfrei "disturbance, fright," from Gallo-Romance *exfridare, lit. "to take out of peace," from L. ex- "out of" + Frankish *frithu "peace," from P.Gmc. *frithuz "consideration, forbearance," from PIE base *pri- "to be friendly,
love" (cf. O.C.S. prijati "to aid, help," Skt. prija- "beloved;" see free). Meaning "breach of the peace, riotous fight in public" is from late 15c. Related verb afrey (early 14c.) survives almost exclusively in its pp., afraid (q.v.).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Cite This Source
Example sentences
The shop has the atmosphere of an interspecies affray waiting to happen: the noise and the pong.
Nearby Words
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