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Webster 1913 Edition


Affray

Af-fray′

,
Verb.
T.
[
p. p.
Affrayed
.]
[OE.
afraien
,
affraien
, OF.
effreer
,
esfreer
, F.
effrayer
, orig. to disquiet, put out of peace, fr. L.
ex
+ OHG.
fridu
peace (akin to E.
free
). Cf.
Afraid
,
Fray
,
Frith
inclosure.]
[Archaic]
1.
To startle from quiet; to alarm.
Smale foules a great heap
That had
afrayed
[affrayed] me out of my sleep.
Chaucer.
2.
To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.
That voice doth us
affray
.
Shakespeare

Af-fray′

,
Noun.
[OE.
afrai
,
affrai
, OF.
esfrei
, F.
effroi
, fr. OF.
esfreer
. See
Affray
,
Verb.
T.
]
1.
The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.
[Obs.]
2.
Alarm; terror; fright.
[Obs.]
Spenser.
3.
A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray.
“In the very midst of the affray.”
Motley.
4.
(Law)
The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
Blackstone.
☞ A fighting in private is not, in a legal sense, an affray.
Syn. – Quarrel; brawl; scuffle; encounter; fight; contest; feud; tumult; disturbance.

Webster 1828 Edition


Affray

AFFRA'Y

,

Definition 2024


affray

affray

English

Noun

affray (plural affrays)

  1. The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.
    A 22-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the incident for affray towards attending paramedics.
  2. A tumultuous assault or quarrel.
  3. The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
    The affray in the busy marketplace caused great terror and disorder.

Translations

Synonyms

Verb

affray (third-person singular simple present affrays, present participle affraying, simple past and past participle affrayed)

  1. To startle from quiet; to alarm.
    • Chaucer
      Smale foules a great heap / That had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep.
  2. To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.
    • Shakespeare
      That voice doth us affray.