1. (n.) See Frith.

2. (v. t.) To devour.

3. (v. t.) To rub; to wear away by friction; to chafe; to gall; hence, to eat away; to gnaw; as, to fret cloth; to fret a piece of gold or other metal; a worm frets the plants of a ship.

4. (v. t.) To impair; to wear away; to diminish.

5. (v. t.) To make rough, agitate, or disturb; to cause to ripple; as, to fret the surface of water.

6. (v. t.) To tease; to irritate; to vex.

7. (v. i.) To be worn away; to chafe; to fray; as, a wristband frets on the edges.

8. (v. i.) To eat in; to make way by corrosion.

9. (v. i.) To be agitated; to be in violent commotion; to rankle; as, rancor frets in the malignant breast.

10. (v. i.) To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions.

11. (n.) The agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or other cause; a rippling on the surface of water.

12. (n.) Agitation of mind marked by complaint and impatience; disturbance of temper; irritation; as, he keeps his mind in a continual fret.

13. (n.) Herpes; tetter.

14. (n.) The worn sides of river banks, where ores, or stones containing them, accumulate by being washed down from the hills, and thus indicate to the miners the locality of the veins.

15. (v. t.) To ornament with raised work; to variegate; to diversify.

16. (n.) Ornamental work in relief, as carving or embossing. See Fretwork.

17. (n.) An ornament consisting of small fillets or slats intersecting each other or bent at right angles, as in classical designs, or at oblique angles, as often in Oriental art.

18. (n.) The reticulated headdress or net, made of gold or silver wire, in which ladies in the Middle Ages confined their hair.

19. (n.) A saltire interlaced with a muscle.

20. (n.) A short piece of wire, or other material fixed across the finger board of a guitar or a similar instrument, to indicate where the finger is to be placed.

21. (v. t.) To furnish with frets, as an instrument of music.

ablate abrade abrase ache achievement aching afflict aggravate agitate agonize ail air a grievance alerion angina animal charge annoy annulet arabesque argent armorial bearings armory arms arouse azure backache bandeau bar bar sinister bark basketry basketwork baton be concerned be livid be pissed bearings beat beat up beef bellyache bend bend sinister beset billet bitch bite blazon blazonry bleed blemish bloody bluster boil bordure bother break bristle broad arrow brood brood over browned off bug burn burn to cadency mark cancellation canton carp at carry on cephalalgia chafe chaplet charge check chevron chief chip churn churn up clamor claw coat of arms cockatrice cockle colic collywobbles complain concern convulse coronet crab crack craze crescent crest croak cross cross moline cross-hatching crossing-out crown crucify cut device difference differencing dimple disarrange discompose disquiet distress disturb dither dog dudgeon eagle earache embitter embitterment erase ermine ermines erminites erminois erode escutcheon exacerbate exacerbation exasperate excite excoriate excruciate exercise falcon ferment fess fess point fester field file filigree flanch flap fleur-de-lis flurry fluster flusteration flustration flutter foofaraw fracture fray frazzle fret and fume fret at fretwork fume fur fusil fuss fuss at gall garland gash get excited give pain gnaw gnaw away gnawing go on grate grate on grating gravel graze grid gridiron grieve griffin grille grillwork grind gripe gripes grit groan grouch grouse growl grumble grump grunt gules gut-ache gyron hachure harass hardly wait harrow harry hassle hasten hatching hatchment haunt have a conniption headache heartburn helmet hemicrania henpeck heraldic device high dudgeon holler honor point hound howl huff hurt impalement impaling incense incise inescutcheon inflame inflict pain injure interlacement intertexture intertwinement irk irritant irritate irritation itch to jump the gun kick kill by inches label lace lacerate lacery lacework lacing lather lattice latticework lion lodge a complaint lozenge maim make mincemeat of mantling marshaling