Plural of fray; multiple instances of worn, torn, or unraveled edges, or third-person singular verb meaning causes to unravel.
From Middle French 'frayer' meaning to rub or wear away, from Latin 'fricare.' The '-s' can mark either plural noun or singular present-tense verb.
The word 'fray' captures something that happens to almost everything over time—whether fabric, rope, or relationships, they all 'fray' at the edges, which is why this single word carries both literal and metaphorical power.
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