FRAIL

delicate, fragile, frail

(adjective) easily broken or damaged or destroyed; “a kite too delicate to fly safely”; “fragile porcelain plates”; “fragile old bones”; “a frail craft”

fallible, frail, imperfect, weak

(adjective) wanting in moral strength, courage, or will; having the attributes of man as opposed to e.g. divine beings; “I’m only a fallible human”; “frail humanity”

frail

(adjective) physically weak; “an invalid’s frail body”

frail

(noun) a basket for holding dried fruit (especially raisins or figs)

frail

(noun) the weight of a frail (basket) full of raisins or figs; between 50 and 75 pounds

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Adjective

frail (comparative frailer, superlative frailest)

Easily broken physically; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish

Weak; infirm.

Mentally fragile.

Liable to fall from virtue or be led into sin; not strong against temptation; weak in resolution; unchaste.

Noun

frail (plural frails)

A basket made of rushes, used chiefly to hold figs and raisins.

The quantity of fruit or other items contained in a frail.

A rush for weaving baskets.

(dated, slang) A girl.

Verb

frail (third-person singular simple present frails, present participle frailing, simple past and past participle frailed)

To play a stringed instrument, usually a banjo, by picking with the back of a fingernail.

Anagrams

• filar, flair

Source: Wiktionary

Frail, n. Etym: [OE. fraiel, fraile, OF. fraiel, freel, frael, fr. LL. fraellum.]

Definition: A basket made of rushes, used chiefly for containing figs and raisins.

2. The quantity of raisins -- about thirty-two, fifty-six, or seventy-five pounds, -- contained in a frail.

3. A rush for weaving baskets. Johnson.

Frail, a. [Compar. Frailer; superl. Frailest.] Etym: [OE. frele, freile, OF. fraile, frele, F. frêle, fr. L. fragilis. See Fragile.]

1. Easily broken; fragile; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish; easily destroyed; not tenacious of life; weak; infirm. That I may know how frail I am. Ps. xxxix. 4. An old bent man, worn and frail. Lowell.

2. Tender. [Obs.] Deep indignation and compassion. Spenser.

3. Liable to fall from virtue or be led into sin; not strong against temptation; weak in resolution; also, unchaste; -- often applied to fallen women. Man is frail, and prone to evil. Jer. Taylor.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition