A narrow strait or channel of water (archaic); from Latin, referring to a tight passage or narrows between land masses.
From Latin 'fretum' meaning strait or channel, derived from 'frangere' (to break), since waves break in narrow straits; used in English geographic terminology in medieval and classical references.
Latin gave English hundreds of geography terms—'fretum' survives in place names and older texts, reminding us that English borrowed heavily from the Roman world whenever describing unfamiliar landscapes.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.