freet

English

Etymology

From Middle English frete (“superstition”), from Old Norse frétt (“news, intelligence, inquiry, inquiry about the future”), from Proto-Germanic *frihtiz, related to Icelandic frétt (“news”), Icelandic frétta (“to review”), (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Danish and (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Norwegian fritte (“to question, interrogate”), English frain (“to question”). More at frain.

Alternative forms

• fret
• freit (Scotland)

Noun

freet (plural freets)

1. A superstitious notion or belief with respect to any action or event as a good or a bad omen; a superstition.
   • 1824, John Mactaggart, The Scottish Gallovidian Encyclopedia, page 263:

     If the old “freet” be true “ that those who fall when at the handspake aneath the corpse, will soon be the corpse themsell," there would soon be a good few corspes; for at these "druken" concerns, the bearers are falling some of them every now and then.

2. A superstitious rite, observance, wont, or practise.
   • 1903, Samual Ferguson, The Fairy Well of Lagnanay:

     Oh, sister Ellen, sister sweet, Come with me to the hill I pray, And I will prove that blessed freet!

3. A charm.

Derived terms

• freety

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Luxembourgish

Verb

freet

1. inflection of freeën:
   1. third-person singular present indicative
   2. second-person plural present indicative
   3. second-person plural imperative

Verb

freet

1. third-person singular present indicative of froen

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Middle English

Verb

freet

1. alternative simple past of frēten.
   • 1390, William Langland, Piers Ploughman:

     Adam freet of that fruit, And forsook The love of our Lord.

     (please add an English translation of this quotation)