Chapter Freshet to Frictionless of F by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

2. (Arch.) An ornament consisting of small fillets or slats intersecting each other or bent at right angles, as in classical designs, or at oblique angles, as often in Oriental art.

His lady's cabinet is a adorned on the fret, ceiling, and chimney-piece with . . . carving.

Evelyn.

3. The reticulated headdress or net, made of gold or silver wire, in which ladies in the Middle Ages confined their hair.

A fret of gold she had next her hair.

Chaucer.

Fret saw, a saw with a long, narrow blade, used in cutting frets, scrolls, etc.; a scroll saw; a keyhole saw; a compass saw.

Fret
(Fret) n. [F. frette a saltire, also a hoop, ferrule, prob. a dim. of L. ferrum iron. For sense 2, cf. also E. fret to rub.]

1. (Her.) A saltire interlaced with a mascle.

2. (Mus.) A short piece of wire, or other material fixed across the finger board of a guitar or a similar instrument, to indicate where the finger is to be placed.

Fret
(Fret), v. t. To furnish with frets, as an instrument of music.

Fretful
(Fret"ful) a. [See 2d Fret.] Disposed to fret; ill-humored; peevish; angry; in a state of vexation; as, a fretful temper. — Fret"ful*ly, adv. — Fret"ful*ness, n.

Syn. — Peevish; ill-humored; ill-natured; irritable; waspish; captious; petulant; splenetic; spleeny; passionate; angry. - - Fretful, Peevish, Cross. These words all indicate an unamiable working and expression of temper. Peevish marks more especially the inward spirit: a peevish man is always ready to find fault. Fretful points rather to the outward act, and marks a complaining impatience: sickly children are apt to be fretful. Crossness is peevishness mingled with vexation or anger.

Frett
(Frett) n. [See 2d Fret.] (Mining) The worn side of the bank of a river. See 4th Fret, n., 4.

Frett
(Frett), n. [See Frit.] A vitreous compound, used by potters in glazing, consisting of lime, silica, borax, lead, and soda.

Fretted
(Fret"ted) p. p. & a. [From 2d Fret.]

1. Rubbed or worn away; chafed.

2. Agitated; vexed; worried.

Fretted
(Fret"ted), p. p. & a. [See 5th Fret.]

1. Ornamented with fretwork; furnished with frets; variegated; made rough on the surface.

2. (Her.) Interlaced one with another; — said of charges and ordinaries.

Fretten
(Fret"ten) a. [The old p. p. of fret to rub.] Rubbed; marked; as, pock-fretten, marked with the smallpox. [Obs.] Wright.

Fretter
(Fret"ter) n. One who, or that which, frets.

Fretty
(Fret"ty), a. [See 5th Fret.] Adorned with fretwork.

Fretum
(||Fre"tum) n.; pl. Freta [L.] A strait, or arm of the sea.