freten

Middle English

Etymology 1

Inherited from Old English fretan, from Proto-West Germanic *fraetan, from Proto-Germanic *fraetaną; equivalent to fret (“eating away”) +‎ -en (infinitival suffix).

Some senses are possibly influenced by an Old French *freiter.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfrɛːtən/

Verb

freten (third-person singular simple present freteth, present participle fretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative frat, past participle freten)

  1. To consume, to devour, to eat (usually of animals).
    • 1370–1390, William Langland, “Passus. xviii. de visione”, in Piers Plowman:
      At the bigynnyng God gaf the doom hymselve-- / That Adam and Eve and alle that hem suwede / Sholden deye downrighte, and dwelle in peyne after / If that thei touchede a tree and of the fruyt eten. / Adam afterward, ayeins his defence, / Freet of that fruyt, and forsook, as it were, / The love of Oure Lord and his loore bothe […]
      At the beginning God gave the judgment himself / That Adam and Eve and all them that ensued, / Should die down right and dwell in pain after, / If that they touched a tree and the fruit ate, / Adam afterward against his warning / Ate of that fruit, and forsook, as it were, / The love of our Lord and his lore both, […]
  2. (figurative) To ruin; to devastate.
  3. To wear or abrade; to rub or chafe at:
    1. To gnaw or chomp; to attack with the teeth.
    2. To corrode; to eat or wear away.
    3. (figurative) To wear at; to annoy or injure.
  4. (rare, cooking) To force through a strainer.
Conjugation
Conjugation of freten (strong class 5 or weak in -te/-ed)
infinitive (to) freten, frete
present tense past tense
1st-person singular frete frat, fret, frette, freted
2nd-person singular fretest frete, frat, fret, frettest, fretedest
3rd-person singular freteth, fret frat, fret, frette, freted
subjunctive singular frete frete1, frette1, freted1
imperative singular —
plural2 freten, frete freten, frete, fretten, frette, freteden, fretede
imperative plural freteth, frete —
participles fretynge, fretende (y)freten, (y)frete, (y)fret, (y)freted

1Replaced by the indicative in later Middle English.
2Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants
  • English: fret
  • Scots: frete, freet
References

Etymology 2

Borrowed from Old French frete, past participle of freter (“to decorate”).

Alternative forms

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfrɛːtən/, /ˈfrɛtən/

Verb

freten (third-person singular simple present freteth, present participle fretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative frette, past participle fret)

  1. To decorate with precious adornments (often wire or gems)
  2. To supply, stock or load; to make full.
  3. (rare) To place as such a decoration.
Usage notes

This verb is usually found in the past participle, though other forms occasionally appear.

Conjugation
Conjugation of freten (weak in -te/-ed)
infinitive (to) [[{{{head}}}#Middle English|{{{head}}}]]
present tense past tense
1st-person singular [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
2nd-person singular [[{{{1}}}est#Middle English|{{{1}}}est]] [[{{{2}}}test#Middle English|{{{2}}}test]], [[{{{2}}}edest#Middle English|{{{2}}}edest]]
3rd-person singular [[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]] [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
subjunctive singular [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]
imperative singular —
plural1 [[{{{1}}}en#Middle English|{{{1}}}en]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{2}}}ten#Middle English|{{{2}}}ten]], [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}eden#Middle English|{{{2}}}eden]], [[{{{2}}}ede#Middle English|{{{2}}}ede]]
imperative plural [[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]] —
participles [[{{{1}}}ynge#Middle English|{{{1}}}ynge]], [[{{{1}}}ende#Middle English|{{{1}}}ende]] [[{{{2}}}t#Middle English|{{{2}}}t]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]], [[y{{{2}}}t#Middle English|y{{{2}}}t]], [[y{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|y{{{2}}}ed]]

1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

References

Etymology 3

Borrowed from Old French fretter, freter, from frette (“ring”). See fretter.

Alternative forms

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈfrɛːtən/, /ˈfrɛtən/

Verb

freten (third-person singular simple present freteth, present participle fretynge, first-/third-person singular past indicative frette, past participle fret)

  1. To bind or tie, especially with a loop
Usage notes

This verb is usually found in the past participle, though other forms occasionally appear.

Conjugation
Conjugation of freten (weak in -te/-ed)
infinitive (to) [[{{{head}}}#Middle English|{{{head}}}]]
present tense past tense
1st-person singular [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
2nd-person singular [[{{{1}}}est#Middle English|{{{1}}}est]] [[{{{2}}}test#Middle English|{{{2}}}test]], [[{{{2}}}edest#Middle English|{{{2}}}edest]]
3rd-person singular [[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]] [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]]
subjunctive singular [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]]
imperative singular —
plural1 [[{{{1}}}en#Middle English|{{{1}}}en]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]] [[{{{2}}}ten#Middle English|{{{2}}}ten]], [[{{{2}}}te#Middle English|{{{2}}}te]], [[{{{2}}}eden#Middle English|{{{2}}}eden]], [[{{{2}}}ede#Middle English|{{{2}}}ede]]
imperative plural [[{{{1}}}eth#Middle English|{{{1}}}eth]], [[{{{1}}}e#Middle English|{{{1}}}e]] —
participles [[{{{1}}}ynge#Middle English|{{{1}}}ynge]], [[{{{1}}}ende#Middle English|{{{1}}}ende]] [[{{{2}}}t#Middle English|{{{2}}}t]], [[{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|{{{2}}}ed]], [[y{{{2}}}t#Middle English|y{{{2}}}t]], [[y{{{2}}}ed#Middle English|y{{{2}}}ed]]

1Sometimes used as a formal 2nd-person singular.

Descendants

References
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