AFFRAYING
Verb
affraying
present participle of affray
Source: Wiktionary
AFFRAY
Af*fray", v. t. [p. p. Affrayed.] Etym: [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.
Af*fray", n. Etym: [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)
Definition: 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition