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more about affray
affray |
3 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Affray \Af*fray"\, n. [OE. afrai, affrai OF esfrei F. effroi fr OF esfreer See {Affray}, v. t.] 1. The act of suddenly disturbing any one an assault or attack. [Obs.] 2. Alarm; terror; fright. [Obs.] --Spenser. 3. A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray. ``In the very midst of the affray.'' --Motley. 4. (Law) The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place to the terror of others --Blackstone. Note: A fighting in private is not in a legal sense an affray. Syn: Quarrel; brawl; scuffle; encounter; fight; contest; feud; tumult; disturbance. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Affray \Af*fray"\, v. t. [p. p. {Affrayed}.] [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.] [Archaic] 1. To startle from quiet; to alarm. Smale foules a great heap That had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep. --Chaucer. 2. To frighten; to scare; to frighten away That voice doth us affray. --Shak. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: affray n 1: noisy quarrel [syn: {altercation}, {fracas}] 2: a noisy fight [syn: {disturbance}, {fray}, {ruffle}]
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