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Affray

//əˈfɹeɪ// noun, verb

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    The act of suddenly disturbing anyone; an assault or attack. countable, uncountable

    "A 22-year-old man was also arrested in connection with the incident for affray towards attending paramedics."

  2. 2
    a noisy fight wordnet
  3. 3
    A tumultuous assault or quarrel. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    noisy quarrel wordnet
  5. 5
    The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others. countable, uncountable

    "The affray in the busy marketplace caused great terror and disorder."

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  1. 6
    Terror. countable, obsolete, uncountable

    "full of ghastly fright and cold affray"

Verb
  1. 1
    To startle from quiet; to alarm. archaic, transitive
  2. 2
    To frighten; to scare; to frighten away. archaic, transitive

    "That voice doth us affray."

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English affraien (“to terrify, frighten”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”) and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”) (compare modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfridāre. The second part of this is in turn from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from *frijōną (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Old High German fridu (“peace”), Old English friþ (“peace, frith”), Old English frēod (“peace, friendship”), German Friede (“peace”). More at free, friend.

Etymology 2

From Middle English affraien (“to terrify, frighten”), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer (“to terrify, disquiet, disturb”) and Old French effreer, esfreer (“to disturb, remove the peace from”) (compare modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin *exfridāre. The second part of this is in turn from Frankish *friþu (“security, peace”), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace”), from *frijōną (“to free; to love”), from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Old High German fridu (“peace”), Old English friþ (“peace, frith”), Old English frēod (“peace, friendship”), German Friede (“peace”). More at free, friend.

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