chafe








verb (used with object), chafed, chaf·ing.

  1. to wear or abrade by rubbing: He chafed his shoes on the rocks.
  2. to make sore by rubbing: Her collar chafed her neck.
  3. to irritate; annoy: The dripping of the faucet chafed her nerves.
  4. to warm by rubbing: to chafe cold hands.
  5. Obsolete. to heat; make warm.

verb (used without object), chafed, chaf·ing.

  1. to become worn or sore from rubbing: His neck began to chafe from the starched collar.
  2. to rub; press with friction: The horse chafed against his stall.
  3. to be irritated or annoyed: He chafed at their constant interruptions.

noun

  1. irritation; annoyance.
  2. heat, wear, or soreness caused by rubbing.
Idioms

  1. chafe at the bit, to become impatient at delay: The work was going very slowly, and he began to chafe at the bit.

verb

  1. to make or become sore or worn by rubbing
  2. (tr) to warm (the hands, etc) by rubbing
  3. to irritate or be irritated or impatienthe was chafed because he was not allowed out
  4. (intr; often foll by on, against, etc) to cause friction; rub
  5. chafe at the bit See champ 1 (def. 3)

noun

  1. a soreness or irritation caused by friction
v.

early 14c., chaufen, c.1300, “be provoked;” late 14c. in literal sense “to make warm, to heat,” also intransitive, “to grow warm or hot,” especially (early 15c.) “to warm by rubbing,” from Old French chaufer “heat, warm up, become warm” (12c., Modern French chauffer), from Vulgar Latin *calefare, from Latin calefacere “to make hot, make warm,” from calere “be warm” (see calorie) + facere “to make, do” (see factitious).

Figurative sense from late 14c. include now-obsolete “kindle (joy), inspire, make passionate” as well as “provoke, vex, anger.” Sense of “make sore by rubbing” first recorded 1520s. Related: Chafed; chafing.

v.

  1. To cause irritation of the skin by friction.
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