Detray

/dɪˈtreɪ/ verb

Definition

To betray or reveal a secret; an archaic term for betrayal or disclosure.

Etymology

From Old French detraire or possibly influenced by de- + tray/betray. An extremely archaic term, likely obsolete since the 1600s, that once meant to betray but fell out of use as 'betray' became standard.

Kelly Says

Detray is essentially a ghost word—it appears in historical texts but is so old that most modern dictionaries barely acknowledge it, showing how vocabulary evolves and older synonyms simply disappear from living language.

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