An archaic or obsolete form meaning to fret or worry; to chafe or irritate.
From Old French 'afreter,' possibly related to 'a-' + 'freter' (to rub or chafe). The word is rarely used in modern English.
This obscure word shows how many English verbs starting with 'a-' were borrowed from French but gradually disappeared—today we just say 'fret' without the prefix.
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