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Fret Very Common

Fret has 26 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

agitation resulting from active worry

"don't get in a stew"

"he's in a sweat about exams"

2

a spot that has been worn away by abrasion or erosion

"The constant flow of sand created deep frets in the limestone cliffside over centuries."

3

an ornamental pattern consisting of repeated vertical and horizontal lines (often in relief)

"there was a simple fret at the top of the walls"

4

a small bar of metal across the fingerboard of a musical instrument; when the string is stopped by a finger at the metal bar it will produce a note of the desired pitch

"He carefully placed his finger on the fret to ensure he was hitting the exact note needed for that difficult chord."

5

Agitation of the surface of a fluid by fermentation or some other cause; a rippling on the surface of water.

"Researchers measured the efficiency of Förster resonance energy transfer between the donor fluorophore and the acceptor molecule to confirm their hypothesis about protein folding dynamics."

6

An ornamental pattern consisting of repeated vertical and horizontal lines, often in relief.

7

A ferrule, a ring.

8

A channel, a strait; a fretum.

9

A channel or passage created by the sea.

10

A fog or mist at sea, or coming inland from the sea.

11

Förster resonance energy transfer

In plain English: FRET is a technique scientists use to measure the distance between two molecules by observing how energy transfers between them.

"Scientists used fret to measure the distance between molecules."

Verb
1

worry unnecessarily or excessively

"don't fuss too much over the grandchildren--they are quite big now"

2

be agitated or irritated

"don't fret over these small details"

3

provide (a musical instrument) with frets

"fret a guitar"

4

become or make sore by or as if by rubbing

"The rough fabric of his new shirt started to fret the sensitive skin on his neck after just a few hours of wear."

5

cause annoyance in

"The constant noise from the construction site next door began to fret everyone living on the street."

6

gnaw into; make resentful or angry

"The injustice rankled her"

"his resentment festered"

7

carve a pattern into

"The artisan carefully frets intricate geometric patterns into the surface of the wooden box before applying the varnish."

8

decorate with an interlaced design

"The antique music box was beautifully fretted along its edges with delicate gold filigree."

9

be too tight; rub or press

"This neckband is choking the cat"

10

cause friction

"my sweater scratches"

11

remove soil or rock

"Rain eroded the terraces"

12

wear away or erode

"The rushing river water began to fret the soft clay banks, creating deep gullies along the shoreline."

13

Especially when describing animals: to consume, devour, or eat.

"She used a small leather strap to fret the loose end of her scarf securely around her wrist."

14

To decorate or ornament, especially with an interlaced or interwoven pattern, or (architecture) with carving or relief (raised) work.

15

To bind, to tie, originally with a loop or ring.

In plain English: To fret means to worry or feel anxious about something.

"The luthier carefully fitted a new fret onto the guitar's neck."

Example Sentences
"Scientists used fret to measure the distance between molecules." noun
"The guitar player tuned his fret before starting the solo." noun
"She couldn't reach the highest fret on her ukulele without stretching too far." noun
"He carefully polished every metal fret to keep them shiny and smooth." noun
"The luthier carefully fitted a new fret onto the guitar's neck." verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
agitation spot architectural ornament bar worry supply irritate annoy carve decorate compress touch damage corrode
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
scruple dither honeycomb wash
Rhyming Words
ret aret uret dret tret pret bret buret beret adret curet egret peret toret mpret caret refret futret lerret tirret
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