Hypertext Webster Gateway: "affray"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Affray \Af*fray"\, n. [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) 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.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Affray \Af*fray"\, v. t. [p. p. {Affrayed}.] [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.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
affray
n 1: noisy quarrel [syn: {altercation}, {fracas}]
2: a noisy fight [syn: {disturbance}, {fray}, {ruffle}]
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