The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

fray \fray\ (fr[=a]), n. [Abbreviated from affray.]
   An angry quarrel; an affray; contest; combat; broil.
   [1913 Webster +PJC]

         Who began this bloody fray?              --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Fray \Fray\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frayed (fr[=a]d); p. pr. &
   vb. n. Fraying.] [See 1st Fray, and cf. Affray.]
   To frighten; to terrify; to alarm. --I. Taylor.
   [1913 Webster]

         What frays ye, that were wont to comfort me affrayed?
                                                  --Spenser.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Fray \Fray\, v. t. [Cf. OF. fraier. See Defray, v. t.]
   To bear the expense of; to defray. [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

         The charge of my most curious and costly ingredients
         frayed, I shall acknowledge myself amply satisfied.
                                                  --Massinger.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Fray \Fray\, v. t. [OF. freier, fraier, froier, to rub. L.
   fricare; cf. friare to crumble, E. friable; perh. akin to Gr.
   chri`ein to anoint, chri^sma an anointing, Skr. gh[.r]sh to
   rub, scratch. Cf. Friction.]
   To rub; to wear off, or wear into shreds, by rubbing; to
   fret, as cloth; as, a deer is said to fray her head.
   [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Fray \Fray\, v. i.
   1. To rub.
      [1913 Webster]

            We can show the marks he made
            When 'gainst the oak his antlers frayed. --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To wear out or into shreads, or to suffer injury by
      rubbing, as when the threads of the warp or of the woof
      wear off so that the cross threads are loose; to ravel;
      as, the cloth frays badly.
      [1913 Webster]

            A suit of frayed magnificience.       --tennyson.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Fray \Fray\, n.
   A fret or chafe, as in cloth; a place injured by rubbing.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

fray
    n 1: a noisy fight [syn: affray, disturbance, fray,
         ruffle]
    v 1: wear away by rubbing; "The friction frayed the sleeve"
         [syn: fray, frazzle]
    2: cause friction; "my sweater scratches" [syn: rub, fray,
       fret, chafe, scratch]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

153 Moby Thesaurus words for "fray":
   ablate, abrade, abrase, abrasion, action, aerial combat, affray,
   altercation, armored combat, bark, battle, battle royal, blemish,
   bloody, brawl, break, broil, brush, bullfight, burn, chafe, check,
   chip, clash, clash of arms, claw, cockfight, combat, concussion,
   conflict, contention, crack, crackle, craze, cut, discord, dispute,
   dissension, disturbance, dogfight, donnybrook, embroilment, erase,
   erode, exchange of blows, fight, file, fire fight, flash burn,
   fracas, fracture, frazzle, fret, gall, gash, gnaw, gnaw away,
   grate, graze, grind, ground combat, hand-to-hand combat,
   hand-to-hand fight, house-to-house combat, hurt, incise, incision,
   injure, injury, lacerate, laceration, lesion, maim,
   make mincemeat of, maul, melee, mortal wound, mutilate, mutilation,
   naval combat, passage of arms, pierce, pitched battle, puncture,
   quarrel, rasp, ravel, raze, rend, rent, rip, row, rub, rub away,
   rub off, rub out, ruckus, ruction, rumble, rumpus, run,
   running fight, rupture, savage, scald, scorch, scotch, scour,
   scramble, scrape, scratch, scrimmage, scrub, scuff, scuffle,
   second-degree burn, shoving match, shred, skin, skirmish, slash,
   slit, sore, sprain, stab, stab wound, stand-up fight, stick,
   strain, street fight, strife, struggle, tatter, tauromachy, tear,
   third-degree burn, trauma, traumatize, tug-of-war, tussle, unravel,
   wear, wear away, wear down, wear off, wear out, wear ragged,
   wear thin, weather, wound, wounds immedicable, wrangle, wrench