affray

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a noisy public fight or brawl disturbing the peace

   Two men were arrested after the affray outside the tavern.

Simplified etymology

Affray entered Middle English from Old Norman French afrayer. It first referred to alarm, fright, or terror, or to the act of frightening; its modern sense of public fighting that disturbs the peace developed later.

From Middle English affraien ('to frighten, disturb'), from Old French effreer, esfreer ('to disturb, frighten'), from Vulgar Latin *exfridare, from Latin ex- ('out of') + Frankish *frithu ('peace'); originally 'to startle out of peace'.

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