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frazzle

verb
/ˈfɹæz(ə)l/

Etymology

Originally an East Anglian word. Either from a variant of the now obsolete fazle (“to unravel”), altered due to influence from fray, or from a blend of fazle and fray. fazle comes from earlier fasel, which was inherited from Middle English facelyn (“[of the end of a rope, or of cloth] to unravel”). Middle English facelyn was a verbal derivative of the noun fasylle (“frayed edge”), which was in turn a derivative (with the diminutive suffix -el) of Old English fæs (“fringe, border”), from Proto-West Germanic *fas, from Proto-Germanic *fasōn. Related to German Faser (“fibre”).

  1. derived from *fasōn✻
  2. derived from *fas✻
  3. derived from fæs — “fringe, border”
  4. derived from facelyn — “􂀿of the end of a rope, or of cloth􂁀 to unravel”

Definitions

  1. To fray or wear down, especially at the edges.

    • The new puppy has been chewing on everything, and my favorite afghan has become frazzled.
    • Frazle, to unravel or rend cloth. Frazlings, threads of cloth, torn or unravelled.
    • One’s garments get frazzled in the grass; one’s mind and body and spiritual sense sometimes become frazzled, torn to pieces, good-for-nothing.

  2. To drain emotionally or physically.

    • After dealing with the children all day, I just can’t help feeling frazzled.
    • One’s garments get frazzled in the grass; one’s mind and body and spiritual sense sometimes become frazzled, torn to pieces, good-for-nothing.

  3. A burnt fragment

    A burnt fragment; a cinder or crisp.

    • The bacon was burned to a frazzle.
  4. ›+ 2 more definitions

    1. The condition or quality of being frazzled

      The condition or quality of being frazzled; a frayed end.

      • 1886–90, John G. Nicolay and John Hay, Abraham Lincoln: A History Gordon had sent word to Lee that he had fought his corps to a frazzle
      • Two years ago his nerves were worn to a frazzle over an attempt made to levy a tax.
      • My fingers are all cut to frazzles..

    2. A messy situation or scene.

      • It ends with a splendid phone conversation between Robin and her mother. Robin (Laura Luz) is a frazzle of choreographed energy as her explanations are obviously leading to more trouble.
      • This is getting to be a real frazzle. We've had more odd characters running around here since that girl moved in than I have the patience to deal with

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for frazzle. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA