About The Word Fret

Bay Area Crosswords

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Fret

Fret Meaning & Definition
Fret Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Fret?

[n] a small bar of metal across the fingerboard of a musical instrument; when the string is stopped by a finger at the metal bar it will produce a note of the desired pitch
[n] agitation resulting from active worry; "don't get in a stew"; "he's in a sweat about exams"
[v] wear away or erode
[v] remove soil or rock, as of wind or water; "Rain eroded the terraces"
[v] cause friction; "my sweater scratches"
[v] be too tight; rub or press; "This neckband is choking the cat"
[v] decorate with an interlaced design
[v] carve a pattern into
[v] be agitated or irritated
[v] gnaw into; make resentful or angry; "The unjustice rankled her"
[v] cause annoyance in
[v] worry unnecessarily of excessively
[v] become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

Synonyms | Synonyms for Fret: chafe | chafe | choke | eat away | eat into | erode | fray | fuss | gag | gall | grate | lather | niggle | rankle | rub | scratch | stew | sweat | swither

Related Terms | Find terms related to Fret: ablate | abrade | abrase | ache | achievement | aching | afflict | aggravate | agitate | agonize | ail | air a grievance | alerion | angina | animal charge | annoy | annulet | arabesque | argent | armorial bearings | armory | arms | arouse | azure | backache | bandeau | bar | bar sinister | bark | basketry | basketwork | baton | be concerned | be livid | be pissed | bearings | beat | beat up | beef | bellyache | bend | bend sinister | beset | billet | bitch | bite | blazon | blazonry | bleed | blemish | bloody | bluster | boil | bordure | bother | break | bristle | broad arrow | brood | brood over | browned off | bug | burn | burn to | cadency mark | cancellation | canton | carp at | carry on | cephalalgia | chafe | chaplet | charge | check | chevron | chief | chip | churn | churn up | clamor | claw | coat of arms | cockatrice | cockle | colic | collywobbles | complain | concern | convulse | coronet | crab | crack | craze | crescent | crest | croak | cross | cross moline | cross-hatching | crossing-out | crown | crucify | cut | device | difference | differencing | dimple | disarrange | discompose | disquiet | distress | disturb | dither | dog | dudgeon | eagle | earache | embitter | embitterment | erase | ermine | ermines | erminites | erminois | erode | escutcheon | exacerbate | exacerbation | exasperate | excite | excoriate | excruciate | exercise | falcon | ferment | fess | fess point | fester | field | file | filigree | flanch | flap | fleur-de-lis | flurry | fluster | flusteration | flustration | flutter | foofaraw | fracture | fray | frazzle | fret and fume | fret at | fretwork | fume | fur | fusil | fuss | fuss at | gall | garland | gash | get excited | give pain | gnaw | gnaw away | gnawing | go on | grate | grate on | grating | gravel | graze | grid | gridiron | grieve | griffin | grille | grillwork | grind | gripe | gripes | grit | groan | grouch | grouse | growl | grumble | grump | grunt | gules | gut-ache | gyron | hachure | harass | hardly wait | harrow | harry | hassle | hasten | hatching | hatchment | haunt | have a conniption | headache | heartburn | helmet | hemicrania | henpeck | heraldic device | high dudgeon | holler | honor point | hound | howl | huff | hurt | impalement | impaling | incense | incise | inescutcheon | inflame | inflict pain | injure | interlacement | intertexture | intertwinement | irk | irritant | irritate | irritation | itch to | jump the gun | kick | kill by inches | label | lace | lacerate | lacery | lacework | lacing | lather | lattice | latticework | lion | lodge a complaint | lozenge | maim | make mincemeat of | mantling | marshaling | martlet | martyr | martyrize | mascle | maul | megrim | mesh | meshes | meshwork | metal | miff | migraine | mope | motto | mourn | mullet | murmur | mutilate | mutter | nag | net | netting | nettle | network | nibble at | niggle | nip | nombril point | octofoil | odontalgia | or | ordinary | orle | otalgia | paddle | pain | pale | paly | pean | peck at | peeve | persecute | perturb | perturbate | pester | pet | pheon | pick at | pick on | pierce | pinch | pine | pine away | pique | pissed off | plague | plexure | plexus | pother | prick | prolong the agony | provocation | provoke | pucker | puncture | purpure | put to torture | pyrosis | quarter | quartering | rack | raddle | rage | raise a howl | raise Cain | raise hell | raise the devil | raise the roof | rankle | rant | rant and rave | rasp | rave | raze | register a complaint | rend | reticle | reticulation | reticule | reticulum | riddle | riffle | rile | rip | ripple | roil | rose | roughen | rub | rub away | rub off | rub out | ruffle | rumple | run | rupture | sable | saltire | savage | scald | scorch | scotch | scour | scrape | scratch | screen | screening | scrub | scuff | scutcheon | seethe | set on edge | set up | shake | shake up | shield | sick headache | sieve | simmer | sizzle | skin | slash | slit | smoke | smolder | sorrow | splitting headache | sprain | spread eagle | squawk | squirm | stab | stew | stick | sting | stir | stir the blood | stir up | stomachache | storm | strain | subordinary | sulk | sweat | sweat and stew | sweat it out | swirl | swivet | take on | tatter | tear | tenne | texture | throbbing pain | throw a fit | tiff | tincture | tissue | tizzy | toothache | torment | torse | torture | tracery | traumatize | trellis | trelliswork | tweak | twist | twitter | twitteration | unicorn | upset | vair | vert | vex | wait impatiently | wattle | wear | wear away | wear down | wear off | wear out | wear ragged | weather | weave | weaving | web | webbing | webwork | weft | whine | whip | whip up | whisk | wicker | wickerwork | work up | worry | wound | wreath | wrench | wring | yale | yap | yap at | yelp

See Also | adjoin | adorn | agitation | annoy | bar | beautify | bother | carve | chafe | compact | compress | constrict | contact | contract | corrode | damage | decorate | devil | dither | embellish | flap | fret | get at | get to | grace | gravel | honeycomb | irritate | irritate | meet | nark | nettle | ornament | pother | press | rag | rile | rust | scruple | squeeze | touch | vex | wash | worry

Fret In Webster's Dictionary

\Fret\ (fr[e^]t), n. [Obs.] See 1st {Frith}.
\Fret\ (fr[e^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Fretted}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Fretting}.] [OE. freten to eat, consume; AS. fretan, for foretan; pref. for- + etan to eat; akin to D. vreten, OHG. frezzan, G. fressen, Sw. fr["a]ta, Goth. fra-itan. See {For}, and {Eat}, v. t.] 1. To devour. [Obs.] The sow frete the child right in the cradle. --Chaucer. 2. To rub; to wear away by friction; to chafe; to gall; hence, to eat away; to gnaw; as, to fret cloth; to fret a piece of gold or other metal; a worm frets the plants of a ship. With many a curve my banks I fret. --Tennyson. 3. To impair; to wear away; to diminish. By starts His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear. --Shak. 4. To make rough, agitate, or disturb; to cause to ripple; as, to fret the surface of water. 5. To tease; to irritate; to vex. Fret not thyself because of evil doers. --Ps. xxxvii. 1.
\Fret\, v. i. 1. To be worn away; to chafe; to fray; as, a wristband frets on the edges. 2. To eat in; to make way by corrosion. Many wheals arose, and fretted one into another with great excoriation. --Wiseman. 3. To be agitated; to be in violent commotion; to rankle; as, rancor frets in the malignant breast. 4. To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions. He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground. --Dryden.
\Fret\, n. 1. The agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a rippling on the surface of water. --Addison. 2. Agitation of mind marked by complaint and impatience; disturbance of temper; irritation; as, he keeps his mind in a continual fret. Yet then did Dennis rave in furious fret. --Pope. 3. Herpes; tetter. --Dunglison. 4. pl. (Mining) The worn sides of river banks, where ores, or stones containing them, accumulate by being washed down from the hills, and thus indicate to the miners the locality of the veins.
\Fret\, v. t. [OE. fretten to adorn, AS. fr[ae]twan, fr[ae]twian; akin to OS. fratah[=o]n, cf. Goth. us-fratwjan to make wise, also AS. fr[ae]twe ornaments, OS. fratah[=i] adornment.] To ornament with raised work; to variegate; to diversify. Whose skirt with gold was fretted all about. --Spenser. Yon gray lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day. --Shak.
\Fret\, n. 1. Ornamental work in relief, as carving or embossing. See {Fretwork}. 2. (Arch.) An ornament consisting of smmall fillets or slats intersecting each other or bent at right angles, as in classical designs, or at obilique angles, as often in Oriental art. His lady's cabinet is a adorned on the fret, ceiling, and chimney-piece with . . . carving. --Evelyn. 3. The reticulated headdress or net, made of gold or silver wire, in which ladies in the Middle Ages confined their hair. A fret of gold she had next her hair. --Chaucer. {Fret saw}, a saw with a long, narrow blade, used in cutting frets, scrolls, etc.; a scroll saw; a keyhole saw; a compass saw.
\Fret\, n. [F. frette a saltire, also a hoop, ferrule, prob. a dim. of L. ferrum iron. For sense 2, cf. also E. fret to rub.] 1. (Her.) A saltire interlaced with a mascle. 2. (Mus.) A short piece of wire, or other material fixed across the finger board of a guitar or a similar instrument, to indicate where the finger is to be placed.
\Fret\, v. t. To furnish with frets, as an instrument of music.

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