Frit
adj, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 A fused mixture of materials used to make glass. countable, uncountable
- 2 A politician who does not perform some action (for example answering a question or calling a vote) out of fear of losing. UK, derogatory
"Why are you not going to bother? You are scared? You are a frit? Is that the problem?"
- 3 A frit fly.
- 4 A similar material used in the manufacture of ceramic beads and small ornaments. (eastern Mediterranean; Bronze and Iron Age) countable, uncountable
- 5 Any of many black enamel dots baked in a graded pattern onto the glass around the edge of a windshield. countable, uncountable
"Made from ceramic paint baked directly into the glass, frits help bond the windscreen to the vehicle by providing a textured surface for adhesives and shielding them from damaging UV rays."
- 1 To add frit to a glass or ceramic mixture
- 2 To prepare by heat (the materials for making glass); to fuse partially.
"equal parts of the calcined and roasted ore, of ground flints and potash, are fritted together and then fused"
- 1 Frightened. UK, especially, regional
"The right hon. Gentleman is afraid of an election, is he? Afraid? Frightened? Frit? Could not take it? Cannot stand it? If I were going to cut and run, I should have gone after the Falklands."
Example
More examples"Made from ceramic paint baked directly into the glass, frits help bond the windscreen to the vehicle by providing a textured surface for adhesives and shielding them from damaging UV rays."
Etymology
Either from French fritte, from frit (“fried”), or else from Italian fritta f (“fried”).
Dialectal past participle of fright (“frighten”), formed on the model of bite:bit and light:lit. Compare the parallel formation fit (“fought”). By the late 20th century, largely confined to the Lincolnshire dialect, but adopted into political slang in the 1980s from the speeches of Grantham-born Margaret Thatcher.
Related phrases
More for "frit"
Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.