affray

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: af=fray

CIDE DICTIONARY

affray, v. t. [OE. afraien, affraien, OF. effreer, esfreer, F. effrayer, orig. to disquiet, put out of peace, fr. L. ex + OHG. fridu peace (akin to E. free). Cf. Afraid, Fray, Frith inclosure.].

•  To startle from quiet; to alarm.  [1913 Webster]

  "Smale foules a great heap
  That had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep."  [1913 Webster]
•  To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.  [1913 Webster]

  "That voice doth us affray."  [1913 Webster]

affray, n. [OE. afrai, affrai, OF. esfrei, F. effroi, fr. OF. esfreer. See Affray, v. t.].

•  The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.  [1913 Webster]
•  Alarm; terror; fright.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]
•  A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray.  Motley.  [1913 Webster]
•  The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.  Blackstone.  [1913 Webster]

  " A fighting in private is not, in a legal sense, an affray."  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Quarrel; brawl; scuffle; encounter; fight; contest; feud; tumult; disturbance.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

affray, n. a breach of the peace by fighting or rioting in public.

Etymology

ME f. AF afrayer (v.) f. OF esfreer f. Rmc

ROGET THESAURUS

affray

Contention

N contention, strife, contest, contestation, struggle, belligerency, opposition, controversy, polemics, debate, war of words, logomachy, litigation, paper war, high words, sparring, competition, rivalry, corrivalry, corrivalship, agonism, concours, match, race, horse racing, heat, steeple chase, handicap, regatta, field day, sham fight, Derby day, turf, sporting, bullfight, tauromachy, gymkhana, boat race, torpids, wrestling, greco-roman wrestling, pugilism, boxing, fisticuffs, the manly art of self-defense, spar, mill, set-to, round, bout, event, prize fighting, quarterstaff, single stick, gladiatorship, gymnastics, jiujitsu, jujutsu, kooshti, sumo, athletics, athletic sports, games of skill, shindy, fracas, clash of arms, tussle, scuffle, broil, fray, affray, affrayment, velitation, colluctation, luctation, brabble, brigue, scramble, melee, scrimmage, stramash, bushfighting, free fight, stand up fight, hand to hand, running fight, conflict, skirmish, rencounter, encounter, rencontre, collision, affair, brush, fight, battle, battle royal, combat, action, engagement, joust, tournament, tilt, tilting, tournay, list, pitched battle, death struggle, struggle for life or death, life or death struggle, Armageddon, hard knocks, sharp contest, tug of war, naval engagement, naumachia, sea fight, duel, duello, single combat, monomachy, satisfaction, passage d'armes, passage of arms, affair of honor, triangular duel, hostile meeting, digladiation, deeds of arms, feats of arms, appeal to arms, pugnacity, combativeness, bone of contention, contending, together by the ears, at loggerheads, at war, at issue, competitive, rival, belligerent, contentious, combative, bellicose, unpeaceful, warlike, quarrelsome, pugnacious, pugilistic, gladiatorial, palestric, palestrical, a verbis ad verbera, a word and a blow, a very pretty quarrel as it stands, commune periculum concordiam parit, lis litem generat.