transfrete

English

Etymology

From (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English, ultimately from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Latin transfreto (“cross a strait or sea”), from trans (“across”) + fretum or fretus (“strait, channel”).

Verb

1. (dated, early modern English) To cross a channel or narrow sea.
   • Joseph Haselwood, editor, 1813 edition, c. 1567 William Painter, "The Marchionisse of Monferrato", in The Palace of Pleasure, volume 2, page 181,

     The marquesse then of Monferrato, a citye in Italy, beynge a gentleman of great prowesse and valiance, was appointed to transfrete the seas in a generall passage made by the Christians, wyth an huge armie and great furniture.

   • a. 1597 William Hunnis, "The Complaint of Old Age", in, 1859, James Hamilton, editor, Our Christian Classics: readings from the best divines, with notes biographical and critical, volume I, James Nisbet and Co., page 135,

     While foreign tongues they seek,

     Their knowledge to maintain,

     And fear not to transfrete the seas,

     And Alps to climb with pain

   • a. 1660 Thomas Urquhart translation of, François Rabelais, Gargantua and Pantagruel, book 1, chapter 33, 2005 edition, →ISBN, page 78,

     There is no need (said they) at this time; have we not hurried up and down, travelled and toyled enough, in having transfreted and past over the Hircanian sea, marched alongst the two Armenias and the three Arabias?

Related terms

• fret
• fretum
• transfretation