fretted; fretting
Definition of fret
(Entry 1 of 6)
c
: to make by wearing away a substance
the stream fretted a channel
2
: to cause to suffer emotional strain : vex
don't you fret yourself about me— J. C. Powys
3
: to pass (time) in fretting
a poor player who struts and frets his hour upon the stage— William Shakespeare
1a
: to eat into something
b
: to affect something as if by gnawing or biting : grate
the … urgent voice fretted at his nerves— Graham Greene
3a
: to become vexed or worried
fretting over the high cost of feeding their families— Vance Packard
b
of running water
: to become agitated
a brook fretting over rocks
fret
noun (1)Definition of fret (Entry 2 of 6)
1a
: the action of wearing away : erosion
b
: a worn or eroded spot
2
: an agitation of mind : irritation
fret
verb (2)
fretted; fretting
Definition of fret (Entry 3 of 6)
1a
: to decorate with interlaced designs
b
: to form a pattern upon
2
: to enrich with embossed or pierced carved patterns
fret
noun (2)Definition of fret (Entry 4 of 6)
1
: an ornamental network
especially
: a medieval metallic or jeweled net for a woman's headdress
2
: an ornament or ornamental work often in relief consisting of small straight bars intersecting one another in right or oblique angles
fret
noun (3)Definition of fret (Entry 5 of 6)
: one of a series of ridges fixed across the fingerboard of a stringed musical instrument (such as a guitar)
fret
verb (3)
fretted; fretting
Definition of fret (Entry 6 of 6)
: to press (the strings of a stringed instrument) against the frets
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for fret
The first known use of fret was in the 12th century
See more words from the same century