▪ I. † refreit, refret Obs.
Forms: 5 refreit(e, refreyt, (reffreyt, refreyd), 5–6 refraite, 6 refrayte; 5–7 refret, (5 refrect, 6 refrete).
[a. OF. refrait, refret, etc.:—L. refract-um, pa. pple. of refringĕre (or *refrangĕre, OF. refraindre) to refract. Cf. refrain n.1]
A refrain or burden.
| 1387–8 T. Usk Test. Love iii. i. (Skeat) l. 156 For euer sobbynges and complaintes be redy refrete in his meditacions. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 4103 Þis was þe refret of þat caroulle, y wene. 1443 Lydg. in Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 211 Of ther song the refreit was of pees. c 1500 H. Medwall Nature 516 (Brandl), These .ii. folk harp both on refrayte. 1532 More Confut. Tindale Wks. 686/2, I shal yet ones agayn..fal to my rude refraite, & sing him mine olde song. 1585 Higins tr. Junius' Nomencl. 11 Versus intercalaris.., Refrein de ballade, a verse often interlaced: the foote, refret, or burden of the dittie. 1623 tr. Favine's Theat. Hon. ii. xiii. 222 Taking the Refret or burthen of the Song. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Ritornello or Refret, in music, the burden of a song. |
▪ II. refreit
variant of refreid v.