Frayings

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of unraveling or coming apart at the edges of a fabric or material
2. the gradual deterioration of the texture or structure causing loosening threads
3. a situation of conflict or disturbance where tensions escalate and relationships become strained

Etymology: "Frayings" is the plural of "fraying," the noun form of the verb "fray." The verb goes back to Old French "frayer," meaning to rub or wear down, which itself traces to Latin "fricare," to rub. The original image is literal: a rope or cloth wearing thin at its edges until its threads come loose. The move from worn threads to strained relationships is a metaphor that English took up gradually. A fraying temper or fraying nerves describes a person wearing down under pressure, and the plural form here names the many small points where a relationship or situation is coming apart. The word keeps its physical picture: each strand that gives way is one of the frayings.

Synonyms: torn edges, rips, wears