fret
1 (frĕt)
[Middle English freten, from Old English fretan, to devour.]
verb: fret·ted, fret·ting, frets.
transitive verb
- To cause to be uneasy; vex: “fret thy soul with crosses and with cares” (Edmund Spenser)
- To gnaw or wear away; erode.
- To produce a hole or worn spot in; corrode. See synonyms at chafe
- To form (a passage or channel) by erosion.
- To disturb the surface of (water or a stream); agitate.
intransitive verb
- To be vexed or troubled; worry. See synonyms at brood
- To be worn or eaten away; become corroded.
- To move agitatedly.
- To gnaw with the teeth in the manner of a rodent.
noun
- The act or an instance of fretting.
- A hole or worn spot made by abrasion or erosion.
- Irritation of mind; agitation.
fret
2 (frĕt)
[Origin unknown.]
noun
- One of several ridges set across the fingerboard of a stringed instrument, such as a guitar.
transitive verb: fret·ted, fret·ting, frets.
- To provide with frets.
- To press (the strings of an instrument) against the frets.
fret
3 (frĕt)
[Middle English, interlaced work, from Old French frete.]
noun
- An ornamental design consisting of repeated and symmetrical geometric figures, often in relief, contained within a band or border. Also called key pattern
- A headdress, worn by women of the Middle Ages, consisting of interlaced wire.
transitive verb: fret·ted, fret·ting, frets.
- To provide with such a design or headdress.
