Fretless
/ˈfrɛtləs/noun
Without frets, especially describing a stringed musical instrument.
Did you know?The root of *fret* goes back to Old English *fretan* meaning “to devour,” so the word-family behind *fretless* carries the eerie sense of being untouched by the thing that “eats” or gnaws.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʷer-
“to devour, swallow”
Old English
OE
fretan
“to devour, consume”
Old English
OE
fretanlēs
“without frets; lacking raised divisions on an instrument”
Middle English
ME
fretles
“without frets”
Modern English
English
fretless
“without frets, especially on a musical instrument”