▪ I. affray, v. Obs. or arch.
(əˈfreɪ)
Forms: 4 afrai, afrey, 4–7 afray(e, affraye, 4– affray. pa. tense 4 afrayed, affraied, 6 affraide, afraid. pa. pple.: see afraid. Also aphetic fray.
[a. Anglo-Fr. afraye-r, effraye-r, early OFr. effreer, esfreer, 1 sing. pres. esfrei, (Pr. esfredar):—late L. ex-fridāre; f. ex out of + late L. fridus, fridum, ad. Teut. friðu (OHG. fridu, OSax. friðu, OE. frið, ON. friðr) peace. The pa. pple. affrayed, ‘alarmed,’ acquired the meaning of ‘in a state of fear,’ and has since the 16th c. been treated as a distinct word: see afraid.]
1. To disturb, or startle, from sleep or quiet, as a sudden noise does; passing into the sense of alarm, as the effect of such startling. arch.
| c 1325 E.E. Allit. P. B. 1780 Afrayed þay no freke..& to þe palays pryncipal þay aproched ful stylle. c 1369 Chaucer Dethe Blaunche 296 Smale foules a great hepe That had afrayed [v.r. affrayed, afraied] me out of my slepe. 1393 Gower Conf. III. 371, I was out of my swoune affraid. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xxv. 227 And wondirly sore afrayed ȝhe was Of his noise sche herde in that plas. 1563 B. Googe Eglogs vi. (Arb.) 55 Than rest and slepe I straightway sought No Dreames dyd me afraye. 1820 Keats St. Agnes xxix. The kettle-drum, and far-heard clarionet Affray his ears. |
† b. To disturb with hostilities; to attack with an armed force. Obs. rare.
| 1467 Marg. Paston in Lett. 576 II. 308 Ye wote wele that I have ben affrayd ther befor this tyme. |
By imperceptible gradations the idea of alarm passed into that of
2. To frighten, to affect with fear; especially in the passive voice to be affrayed or afraid. arch.
| c 1314 Guy Warw. 57 Now goth Gii sore desmaid, His woundes him han iuel afreyd. c 1315 Shoreham 158 For of thet he hadde her y-do He was affrayde. c 1386 Chaucer Clerk's T. 399 Nedelees, god woot, he thoghte hire for t' affraye [MS. Heng. t'afraye]. 1456 Past. Lett. 277 I. 380, I have somwhat affrayed them, and made hem spend mony. 1523 Ld. Berners Froissart I. ccxxix. 307 The whiche so affrayed them, that they had no lust to go thyder. 1637 Gillespie Eng.-Pop. Cerem. ii. i. 6 If Papists..were so affrayed of Conformists. 1763–5 Churchill Duellist i. Poems II. 7 Bid Terror, posting on the wind, Affray the spirits of mankind. 1875 B. Taylor Faust xxv. I. 212 Nay, sheathe thy sword at last! Do not affray me! |
† 3. intr. (refl.) To be afraid, to fear. (Fr. s'effrayer.) Obs.
| c 1440 Partonope 845 She gan affray of this sodeyn caas. |
4. To scare, to startle or alarm into running away, to frighten away. arch. Cf. fray.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xvi. 205 [Thai] dang on thame so hardely, That all thair fayis afrayit war. c 1400 Destr. Troy vii. 3200 Þai affrayet the folke fuersly by dene, Sesit and slogh, slongen to ground. 1549 Compl. Scotl. vii. 70 Beand al affrayit ande fleyit for dreddour of his lyue. 1592 Shakes. Rom. & Jul. iii. v. 33 Since arme from arme that voyce doth vs affray. a 1610 Babington Wks. 32 To prick vs to the good and to afray vs from the euill. 1855 Singleton Virgil I. 80 And with a din Affray the birds. |
▪ II. affray
used for defray.
| 1584 Lodge Alarum agst. Vsurers (1853) 48 Not having friends to releeve them, or money to affray their charges. |
▪ III. affray, n.
(əˈfreɪ)
Forms: 4–5 afray(e, 4–6 affraye, (4 affroi, 5 enfray), 4– affray. Also aphet. fray.
[a. OFr. effrei, esfrei, f. esfre-er: see affray v. The form enfray is an erroneous expansion after the apparent analogy of en-combre, a-combre, etc.]
† 1. The act of suddenly disturbing some one who is at rest; an attack, an assault. Obs.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 176 In mirke withouten sight wille enmys mak affray. c 1360 Yesterday in E.E.P. (1862) 137 Þin enemy woltou · not forȝete · But ay be aferd · of his affray. c 1400 Destr. Troy xi. 4746 In diffens of þe folke þat affroi made. 1509 Parlyament of Deuylles xxvi, [He] strongly withstandeth myn affray. 1583 Stanyhurst Aeneis xi. (1880) 43 Learne our fatal auentures, Thee toyls of Troians, and last infortunat affray. |
† 2. The state produced by sudden disturbance or attack; alarm; fright, terror. Obs.
| 1303 R. Brunne Handlyng Synne 1820 Betwyxe þo twey partys þe dragun lay Gresly to se wyþ grete affray. 1330 ― Chron. 34 Northumberland was in affray for Edred comyng. c 1450 Lonelich Grail xxv. 174 Was to hem a gret afray, Whanne they syen here Lord þere ded. 1523 Ld. Berners Froissart I. ccxv. 271 Wherof the pope and cardynalles were in great affray and drede. 1596 Spenser F.Q. i. iii. 12 Who full of gastly fright and cold affray Gan shut the dore. |
† 3. A disturbance, a noisy or tumultuous outburst; especially one caused by fighting, a fray. Obs.
| 1330 R. Brunne Chron. 66 Now is Edward dede þe soner for þo affrayes. c 1420 Pallad. On Husb. x. 186 And boile it so, not with to greet affray. c 1450 Lonelich Graal II. 306 Piers awook there that he lay, so astoned he was of that afray. c 1460 Towneley Myst. 179 Let no man wyt where that we war, For ferdnes of a fowlle enfray. 1513 Douglas æneis vi. xv. 28 Thys wourthy knycht the commen wele Romane In grete affray perturbit to rest agane And quiet sall restore. 1789 Mrs. Piozzi France & It. I. 216 The people are..little disposed to public affrays. 1810 Scott Lady of L. iii. xiv, So swept the tumult and affray. |
4. esp. A breach of the peace, caused by fighting or riot in a public place.
| 1482 Caxton Chron. Eng. cclii. 323 Also this yere was a grete affraye in fleetstrete by nyȝtes tyme bitwene men of court and men of london. 1552 Huloet Abcedarium, Affraye betwene two men, Monomachia, Pugna. 1576 Lambarde Peramb. Kent (1826) 331, I reade not of any that was slaine in the affraye. 1691 Blount Law Dict. s.v., An Assault is only a wrong to the party; an Affray is a common wrong. 1757 Burke Abridgm. Eng. Hist. Wks. X. 352 The suppressing of riots and affrays. 1823 Scott Peveril I. vii. 127, I trust you have had no hurt in this mad affray? |