affray

Meanings

Verb

• To startle from quiet; to alarm.
• To frighten; to scare; to frighten away.

Noun

• The act of suddenly disturbing anyone; an assault or attack.
• A tumultuous assault or quarrel.
• The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.
• Terror.

Related

Similar words

• fray, brawl
• alarm, terror, fright

Origin

• From Middle English affraien ("to terrify, frighten"), borrowed from Anglo-Norman afrayer ("to terrify, disquiet, disturb") and Old French effreer, esfreer (compare modern French effrayer), from Vulgar Latin or from es- + freer, from Frankish ("security, peace"), from Proto-Germanic *friþuz ("peace"), from *frijōną, from Proto-Indo-European *prāy-, *prēy-. Cognate with Old High German fridu ("peace"), Old English friþ ("peace, frith"), Old English frēod ("peace, friendship"), German Friede ("peace"). Compare also afear. More at free, friend.