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# fray

«fray» in Mova's school dictionary: **If cloth or rope frays, its threads come loose at the…** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 3 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

verb (fray, frays, frayed, fraying); noun (the fray)

### meaning for a pupil

1) If cloth or rope frays, its threads come loose at the edge and it starts to wear out. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#m1)

2) If someone's nerves or temper fray, they become tense and start to get annoyed. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#m2)

3) The fray is a fight, argument or competition: «join the fray», «enter the fray». [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In everyday life, jeans, shoelaces and ropes fray with use; in safety, a frayed rope or electric cable is dangerous and should be replaced. In stories and news, people «jump into the fray» of an argument or battle. Phrases: «frayed edges», «tempers frayed», «join the fray», «above the fray».

### examples

- The edges of my jeans have started to fray. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x1)
- Never use a frayed electric cable. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x2)
- Tempers frayed as the long car journey went on. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x3)
- Another team entered the fray in the second half. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x4)
- The knight rode into the fray. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x5)
- Her nerves were frayed before the exam. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x6)
- Then the ten thousand mighty lions joined the fray and tore in pieces man and horse. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/#x7)

### note

Regular verb: frayed. «Frayed» describes worn cloth or tired, edgy nerves. «Stay above the fray» means do not get involved in an argument.

### In the corpora

- [A frayed or damaged cord should be unplugged by an adult and not used again until it is fixed.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/32-electricity-at-home/17/)
- [Never touch or use a frayed cable with wires showing; tell a grown-up.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/everyday/108-laundry-freezer-and-electricity/12/)
- [A cracked or frayed cable can give an electric shock.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/world/87-electricity-at-home-and-safety/19/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «fray» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/F/fray/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.