What does "frith" mean?
Peace; security.
Frith
/fɹɪθ/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Uncommon ·College level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Peace; security.
- Grammar: frith is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: arm, armlet, bay, bayou.
- Usage evidence: Methinks I am like a man, who having struck on many shoals, and having narrowly escap'd shipwreck in passing a small frith, has yet the temerity to put out to sea in the same leaky weather-beaten vessel, and even carries his ambition so far as to think of compassing the globe under these disadvantageous circumstances.
How to use "frith"
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- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "frith" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "frith" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "frith" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "frith" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
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Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "frith" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "arm" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Peace; security. archaic, poetic, rare, uncountable
"Thus the king declares that he wants to see his peace or 'frith' extended to his people and that moots are urged to frith all that the king wills to be frithed"
- 2 A forest or wood; woodland generally.
"As over Holt and Heath, as thorough Frith and Fell; [...]"
- 3 Alternative form of firth (“an arm or inlet of the sea”). alt-of, alternative, archaic
"He [Agricola] had observed, that the island [Britannia; now Great Britain] is almost divided into two unequal parts by the opposite gulfs, or, as they are now called, the Friths of Scotland."
- 4 Sanctuary, asylum. obsolete, uncountable
- 5 Land with mostly undergrowth and few trees; also, land in between forests or woods; pastureland which is not in use. British, dialectal
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 Brushwood or undergrowth, sometimes in the form of a hedge.
- 7 A hedge, especially one made from brushwood which has been wattled; also, a movable frame made from wattled branches, a hurdle.
- 8 A kind of weir made from wattled branches for catching fish. obsolete
Verb
- 1 To protect; guard. obsolete, transitive
"This monument and the Cairns themselves have been purchast by the State, and are now therefore "frithed", protected and national property."
- 2 To enclose; fence in, as a forest or park. obsolete, transitive
"On the other of these improvements, the base of the mound was six feet, its height five feet, and breadth at the top nearly the same; this, with the side-drains or ditches on each side, made the whole scite of the fence about 12 feet; cost of raising the mound and frithing, 4s . per perch."
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A town in Montserrat (in the safe zone).
Example
"Methinks I am like a man, who having struck on many shoals, and having narrowly escap'd shipwreck in passing a small frith, has yet the temerity to put out to sea in the same leaky weather-beaten vessel, and even carries his ambition so far as to think of compassing the globe under these disadvantageous circumstances."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "frith"?
Common synonyms include: arm, armlet, bay, bayou, belt, bight.
How do you use "frith" in a sentence?
Methinks I am like a man, who having struck on many shoals, and having narrowly escap'd shipwreck in passing a small frith, has yet the temerity to put out to sea in the same leaky weather-beaten vessel, and even carries his ambition so far as to think of compassing the globe under these disadvantageous circumstances.
How do you pronounce "frith"?
Pronounced /fɹɪθ/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English frith, from Old English friþ, friþu (“peace, tranquility, security, refuge”), from Proto-West Germanic *friþu, from Proto-Germanic *friþuz (“peace, reconciliation”), from Proto-Indo-European *priHós (“beloved, happy”). Cognate with Dutch vrede (“peace, quiet, tranquility”), German Frieden (“peace, tranquility”), Danish fred (“peace, serenity”), Swedish frid (“peace, serenity”), Icelandic friður (“peace, tranquility”). Related to free.
Etymology 2
From Middle English frithen, from Old English friþian (“to give frith to, make peace with, be at peace with, cherish, protect, guard, defend, keep, observe”), from Proto-Germanic *friþōną (“to make peace, secure, protect”), from Proto-Indo-European *prēy-, *prāy- (“to like, love”). Cognate with Scots frethe, freith (“to set free, liberate”), Danish frede (“to have peace, protect, inclose, fence in”), Swedish freda (“to cover, protect, quiet, inclose, fence in”), Icelandic friða (“to make peace, preserve”).
Etymology 3
From Middle English frith (“forest, woodland; hedging”), from Old English fyrhþe, fyrhþ (“forest, wooded country; game preserve, hunting ground”), from Proto-West Germanic *furhiþi (“forest, woodland”), Proto-Germanic *furhiþją (“forest, wooded country”), *furhiþǭ, from *furhu (“fir; pine”), from *furahō, *furhō (“fir; pine; (fir or pine) forest”), from Proto-Indo-European *pérkus (“oak”), from *perkʷ- (“oak”). The English word is cognate with Latin quercus (“oak”), Old English fyrh (“fir, pine”), Old High German forst, foreht (“forest”), Old Norse fýri (“pine-wood, coniferous forest”). Latin foresta (whence eventually English forest), may be borrowed from the same West Germanic source.
Etymology 4
A metathetic variant of firth.
Etymology 5
English and Scottish surname, spelling variant of Firth.