(archaic or obsolete) A consequence of rubbing, unravelling, or wearing away; a fraying; also, a place where fraying has occurred.

(countable) A noisy commotion, especially resulting from fighting; a brawl, a fight; also, a loud quarrel. / (countable, figuratively) A heated argument; a war of words.

(except poetic) To alarm or frighten (someone or something). / Often followed by away, off, or out: to frighten or scare (someone or something) away.

(also figuratively) To rub or wear away (something); to cause (something made of strands twisted or woven together, such as cloth or rope) to unravel through friction; also, to irritate (something) through chafing or rubbing; to chafe.

(transitive, obsolete, rare) To bear the expense of (something); to defray.

present participle of fray

Frayed material. / The skin which a deer frays from its horns.

simple past tense and past participle of fray

Unravelled, worn at the end or edge.

plural of fraying