affray

[uh-frey] /əˈfreɪ/
noun
1.
a public fight; a noisy quarrel; brawl.
2.
Law. the fighting of two or more persons in a public place.
verb (used with object)
3.
Archaic. to frighten.
Origin
1275-1325; Middle English < Anglo-French afray (noun), afrayer (v.), Old French esfrei (noun), esfreer (v.) < Vulgar Latin *exfridāre to break the peace, equivalent to ex- ex-1 + -frid- peace (< Germanic; compare German Friede) + -āre infinitive suffix
Synonyms
1. row, fracas, altercation, melee.
Examples from the web for affray
  • The shop has the atmosphere of an interspecies affray waiting to happen: the noise and the pong.
British Dictionary definitions for affray

affray

/əˈfreɪ/
noun
1.
(law) a fight, noisy quarrel, or disturbance between two or more persons in a public place
verb
2.
(transitive) (archaic) to frighten
Word Origin
C14: via Old French from Vulgar Latin exfridāre (unattested) to break the peace; compare German Friede peace
Word Origin and History for affray
n.

c.1300, "state of alarm produced by a sudden disturbance," from Old French effrei, esfrei "disturbance, fright," from esfreer (v.) "to worry, concern, trouble, disturb," from Vulgar Latin *exfridare, literally "to take out of peace," from Latin ex- "out of" (see ex-) + Frankish *frithu "peace," from Proto-Germanic *frithuz "peace, consideration, forbearance" (cf. Old Saxon frithu, Old English friðu, Old High German fridu "peace, truce"), from PIE root *pri- "to be friendly, love" (see free (adj.)). Meaning "breach of the peace, riotous fight in public" is from late 15c. Related verb afrey (early 14c.) survives almost exclusively in its past participle, afraid (q.v.).