Noun
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

Noun
an ornamental pattern consisting of repeated vertical and horizonal lines (often in relief); "there was a simple fret at the top of the walls"

Noun
a spot that has been worn away by abrasion or erosion

Noun
agitation resulting from active worry; "don''t get in a stew"; "he''s in a sweat about exams"

Verb
wear away or erode

Verb
remove soil or rock; "Rain eroded the terraces"

Verb
cause friction; "my sweater scratches"

Verb
be too tight; rub or press; "This neckband is choking the cat"

Verb
decorate with an interlaced design

Verb
carve a pattern into

Verb
be agitated or irritated; "don''t fret over these small details"

Verb
gnaw into; make resentful or angry; "The unjustice rankled her"; "his resentment festered"

Verb
cause annoyance in

Verb
worry unnecessarily or excessively; "don''t fuss too much over the grandchildren--they are quite big now"

Verb
become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

Verb
provide (a musical instrument) with frets; "fret a guitar"

n.
See 1st Frith.

v. t.
To devour.

v. t.
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.

v. t.
To impair; to wear away; to diminish.

v. t.
To make rough, agitate, or disturb; to cause to ripple; as, to fret the surface of water.

v. t.
To tease; to irritate; to vex.

v. i.
To be worn away; to chafe; to fray; as, a wristband frets on the edges.

v. i.
To eat in; to make way by corrosion.

v. i.
To be agitated; to be in violent commotion; to rankle; as, rancor frets in the malignant breast.

v. i.
To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions.

n.
The agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a rippling on the surface of water.

n.
Agitation of mind marked by complaint and impatience; disturbance of temper; irritation; as, he keeps his mind in a continual fret.

n.
Herpes; tetter.

n.
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.

v. t.
To ornament with raised work; to variegate; to diversify.

n.
Ornamental work in relief, as carving or embossing. See Fretwork.

n.
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.

n.
The reticulated headdress or net, made of gold or silver wire, in which ladies in the Middle Ages confined their hair.

n.
A saltire interlaced with a mascle.

n.
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.

v. t.
To furnish with frets, as an instrument of music.

Fret

Fret

The sow frete the child right in the cradle.

With many a curve my banks I fret.

By starts His fretted fortunes give him hope and fear.

Fret not thyself because of evil doers.

Fret

Many wheals arose, and fretted one into another with great excoriation.

He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground.

Fret

Yet then did Dennis rave in furious fret.

Fret

Whose skirt with gold was fretted all about.

Yon gray lines, That fret the clouds, are messengers of day.

Fret

His lady's cabinet is a adorned on the fret, ceiling, and chimney-piece with . . . carving.

A fret of gold she had next her hair.

Fret

Fret

See 1st Frith.

To devour.

To be worn away; to chafe; to fray; as, a wristband frets on the edges.

The agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a rippling on the surface of water.

To ornament with raised work; to variegate; to diversify.

Ornamental work in relief, as carving or embossing. See Fretwork.

A saltire interlaced with a mascle.

To furnish with frets, as an instrument of music.