frayed
UK[freɪd]US[freɪd]
adj
(of cloth, rope, etc.) having threads that are starting to come apart or become worn.
adj
(of nerves, tempers, etc.) showing the effects of strain or tension; worn out.
Morpheme Breakdown
fray
ed
fray
to wear away
ed
adjective suffix
Etymology
the word 'frayed' originates from the verb 'fray', which entered english in the late 14th century from the old french 'freier', meaning to rub or wear away. this old french term derives from the latin verb 'fricare', which carries the core meaning of to rub. the semantic journey is direct: the physical action of rubbing leads to the wearing away of material, such as fabric or rope. the addition of the '-ed' suffix, a common germanic participial ending used to form adjectives, creates a descriptive term for something that has undergone this process of wear, a meaning later extended metaphorically to describe strained nerves or tempers.
Analysis
Structure: fray (to wear away) + ed (adjective suffix)
fray (from old french 'freier', meaning to rub, from latin 'fricare', meaning to rub); ed (from old english '-ed', '-od', '-ad', past participle suffix forming adjectives).
Examples
the collar of his old coat was frayed and faded.
after weeks of constant pressure, her nerves were badly frayed.
the frayed rope snapped under the heavy weight.