All 7 Uses

frayed
in
The Odyssey
(Edited)

my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more,
go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until
I can finish off this web ….
so my weaving won't all fray and come to nothing.
This is a shroud for old lord Laertes, for that day
when the deadly fate that lays us out at last will take him down.
p. 96.5 *

fray = wear away so threads begin to separate or hang loose
Your patience would fray, you'd soon head for home ….
p. 111.2 *

fray = to strain emotionally, or to become emotionally strained
...and gave him a staff and beggar's sack,
torn and tattered, slung from a fraying rope.
p. 300.9

fraying = showing wear with threads beginning to separate or hang loose
he flung his beggar's sack across his shoulders—
torn and tattered, slung from a fraying rope.
p. 360.8
He threw his beggar's sack across his shoulders—
torn and tattered, slung from a fraying rope—
p. 379.5
my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more,
go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until
I can finish off this web ….
so my weaving won't all fray and come to nothing.
p. 395.2

fray = wear away so threads begin to separate or hang loose
my suitors, now that King Odysseus is no more,
go slowly, keen as you are to marry me, until
I can finish off this web ….
so my weaving won't all fray and come to nothing.
p. 472.6

Definitions:

(1) (frayed as in: frayed cloth)
showing wear with threads beginning to separate or hang loose
(2) (frayed as in: frayed nerves)
emotionally strained (worn thin)
(3) (fray as in: into the fray)
a noisy fight, controversial debate, or other exciting situation that usually is not well organized
(4) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)