Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “defray” come from?

Defray comes from Middle French desfrayer, from French défrayer, formed with the prefix dé- (from Middle French des-, from Latin dis- and ex) and Latin fricare, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European de.

defray (English): To spend; To pay or discharge ; to meet; To pay...

Definitions

  1. To spend; To pay or discharge ; to meet; To pay...

Ancestry of “defray”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle Frenchdesfrayer—
2Old Frenchfraierto spend
3Latinfricāre—
4LatinfrioI crumble, rub, or break into pieces
5Proto-Italic*friāō—

Words derived from “defray”

  • defrayal
  • defrayment
  • defrayable
  • defrayer
Every word from Proto-Italic *friāō →