Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
No pronunciation record was provided for this word.
verb
To try; test; prove; put to the proof; make trial (of).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, ambitransitive, dialectal, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To learn by trial; experience.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, dialectal, obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To seek to learn; ask; inquire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To seek; be eager for; desire.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To go forth on an expedition; sally forth.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From Middle English fraisten, freisten, frasten, from Old Norse freista (“to try, tempt, make trial of”), from Proto-Germanic *fraistōną (“to try”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“to try, risk”). Cognate with Icelandic freista (“to tempt”), Swedish fresta (“to try, tempt, tantalise”), Danish friste (“to try, tempt”), Old English frāsian (“to ask, inquire, tempt, try”). More at fraise.
