Definition of fret

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fret¹    (frt) KEY 

VERB:
fret·ted, fret·ting, frets
VERB:
tr.

1. To cause to be uneasy; vex: "fret thy soul with crosses and with cares" (Edmund Spenser).
2. 1. To gnaw or wear away; erode.
   2. To produce a hole or worn spot in; corrode. See Synonyms at chafe.
3. To form (a passage or channel) by erosion.
4. To disturb the surface of (water or a stream); agitate.

VERB:
intr.

1. To be vexed or troubled; worry. See Synonyms at brood.
2. To be worn or eaten away; become corroded.
3. To move agitatedly.
4. To gnaw with the teeth in the manner of a rodent.

NOUN:

1. The act or an instance of fretting.
2. A hole or worn spot made by abrasion or erosion.
3. Irritation of mind; agitation.

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ETYMOLOGY:
Middle English freten, from Old English fretan, to devour; see ed- in Indo-European roots