CHAFING

chafing

(noun) soreness or irritation of the skin caused by friction

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Verb

chafing

present participle of chafe

Noun

chafing (plural chafings)

The act by which something is chafed.

Source: Wiktionary

Chaf"ing, n. Etym: [See Chafe, v. t.]

Definition: The act of rubbing, or wearing by friction; making by rubbing. Chafing dish, a dish or vessel for cooking on the table, or for keeping food warm, either by coals, by a lamp, or by hot water; a portable grate for coals.

– Chafing gear (Naut.), any material used to protect sails, rigging, or the like, at points where they are exposed to friction.

CHAFE

Chafe, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Chafed; p pr. & vb. n. Chafing.] Etym: [OE. chaufen to warm, OF. chaufer, F. chauffer, fr. L. calefacere, calfacere, to make warm; calere to be warm + facere to make. See Caldron.]

1. To ecxite heat in by friction; to rub in order to stimulate and make warm. To rub her temples, and to chafe her skin. Spenser.

2. To excite passion or anger in; to fret; to irritate. Her intercession chafed him. Shak.

3. To fret and wear by rubbing; as, to chafe a cable. Two slips of parchment which she sewed round it to prevent its being chafed. Sir W. Scott.

Syn.

– To rub; fret; gall; vex; excite; inflame.

Chafe, v. i.

Definition: To rub; to come together so as to wear by rubbing; to wear by friction. Made its great boughs chafe together. Longfellow. The troubled Tiber chafing with her shores. Shak.

2. To be worn by rubbing; as, a cable chafes.

3. To have a feeling of vexation; to be vexed; to fret; to be irritated. Spenser. He will chafe at the doctor's marrying my daughter. Shak.

Chafe, n.

1. Heat excited by friction.

2. Injury or wear caused by friction.

3. Vexation; irritation of mind; rage. The cardinal in a chafe sent for him to Whitehall. Camden.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition