different between bout vs fray

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ba?t/
• (Canada) IPA^(key): /b??t/
• Homophone: 'bout

Etymology 1

From Middle English bught, probably from an unrecorded variant of Old English byht (“a bend”), from Proto-Germanic *buhtiz (“a bend”). See bight, bought.

Noun

bout (plural bouts)

1. A period of something, usually painful or unpleasant.

   a bout of drought.
2. (boxing) A boxing match.
3. (fencing) An assault (a fencing encounter) at which the score is kept.
4. (roller derby) A roller derby match.
5. A fighting competition.
   • 1883, Howard Pyle, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood Chapter V

     Then they had bouts of wrestling and of cudgel play, so that every day they gained in skill and strength.

6. (music) A bulge or widening in a musical instrument, such as either of the two characteristic bulges of a guitar.
7. (dated) The going and returning of a plough, or other implement used to mark the ground and create a headland, across a field.
   • 1809, A Letter to Sir John Sinclair […] containing a Statement of the System under which a considerable Farm is profitably managed in Hertfordshire. Given at the request of the Board. By Thomas Greg, Esq., published in The Farmer's Magazine, page 395:

     The outside bout of each land is ploughed two inches deeper, and from thence the water runs into cross furrows, which are dug with a spade […] I have an instrument of great power, called a scarifier, for this purpose. It is drawn by four horses, and completely prepares the land for the seed at each bout.

   • 1922, An Ingenious One-Way Agrimotor, published in The Commercial Motor, volume 34, published by Temple Press, page 32:

     It is in this manner that the ploughs are reversed at the termination of each bout of the field.

   • 1976, Claude Culpin, Farm Machinery, page 60:

     The last two rounds must be ploughed shallower, and on the last bout the strip left should be one furrow width for a two-furrow plough, two for a three-furrow, and so on. […]

Translations

Verb

bout (third-person singular simple present bouts, present participle bouting, simple past and past participle bouted)

1. To contest a bout.

Etymology 2

Written form of a reduction of about.

Preposition

bout

1. (colloquial) Aphetic form of about

   They're talking bout you!

   Maddy is bout to get beat up!

References

Dutch

Etymology

From Middle Dutch bout, from Old Dutch *bolt, from Proto-West Germanic *bolt, from Proto-Germanic *bultaz.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /b?u?t/
• Hyphenation: bout
• Rhymes: -?u?t
• Homophones: boud, bouwt

Noun

bout m (plural bouten, diminutive boutje n)

1. bolt (threaded metal cylinder)
   • 2004, Wim Ravesteijn, Jan H. Kop, Bouwen in de Archipel. Burgerlijke openbare werken in Nederlands-Indië 1800-2000, page 104.

2. haunch, leg of an animal as food
   • 2010, Ilse D'hooge, Het complete Libelle pastaboek.

   Synonyms: poot, schenkel

3. (vulgar) fart

   Synonyms: buikwind, scheet, ruft, wind

4. bolt (crossbow arrow)
   • 1875, Willem Jacob Hofdijk, De oude schutterij in Nederland, page 19.

   Synonyms: kruisboogbout, schicht

5. (Suriname) thigh
6. bar, rod

   Synonyms: staaf, stang

7. (archaic) darling, sweetheart, dear

   Synonyms: lieverd, lieveling, schat, schattebout

8. iron (apparatus for ironing clothing)
   • 1986, Jan Terlouw, Gevangenis met een open deur, page 21.

   Synonyms: strijkbout, strijkijzer

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Indonesian: baut

See also

• moer
• schroef

French

Etymology

From Middle French, from Old French bout (“a blow”), derivative of bouter (“to strike”), of Germanic origin. More at bouter.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /bu/, (sense 3) /but/
• Rhymes: -u
• Homophones: boue, boues, bous, bou, bout, bouts

Noun

bout m (plural bouts)

1. end, extremity, tip (of a physical object)
2. bit, piece, scrap
3. (nautical) rope

Derived terms

Verb

bout

1. third-person singular present indicative of bouillir

Further reading

• “bout” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Old French

Etymology

From bouter (“to strike”)

Noun

bout m (oblique plural bouz or boutz, nominative singular bouz or boutz, nominative plural bout)

1. end (extremity)

English

Pronunciation

• enPR: fr?, IPA^(key): /f?e?/
• Rhymes: -e?

Etymology 1

From Middle English fraien, borrowed from Old French frayer, from Latin fric?re, present active infinitive of fric?.

Verb

fray (third-person singular simple present frays, present participle fraying, simple past and past participle frayed)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To (cause to) unravel; used particularly for the edge of something made of cloth, or the end of a rope.

2. (intransitive, figuratively) To cause exhaustion, wear out (a person's mental strength).

   (Metaphorical use; nerves are visualised as strings)

3. (transitive, archaic) frighten; alarm

   • And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.

   • 1662, Henry More, An Antidote Against Atheism, Book II, A Collection of Several Philosophical Writings of Dr. Henry More, p. 63:

     "Besides, all the wit and Philosophy in the world can never demonstrate, that the killing and slaughtering of a Beast is anymore then the striking of a Bush where a Bird's Nest is, where you fray away the Bird, and then seize upon the empty Nest."

   • 1830, Isaac Taylor, The Natural History of Enthusiasm

     the many checks and reverses which belong to the common course of human life , usually fray it away from present scenes

4. (transitive) To bear the expense of; to defray.
   • 1631, Philip Massinger, The Emperor of the East

     The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients frayed, I shall acknowledge myself amply satisfied.

5. (intransitive) To rub.
   • 1808, Walter Scott, Hunting Song

Related terms

• friction
• fricative
• affricate
• dentifrice

Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English frai, aphetic variant of affray.

Noun

fray (plural frays)

1. A fight or argument
2. (archaic) Fright.

Related terms

• affray

Translations

Spanish

Etymology

Apocope of fraile (“friar”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?f?ai/, [?f?ai?]

Noun

fray m (plural frayes)

1. friar

Abbreviations

• fr.