1. an instance of group fighting in a public place that disturbs the peace:dated"Lowe was charged with causing an affray"
Word OriginMiddle English (in the general sense ‘disturbance, fray’): from Anglo-Norman French afrayer ‘disturb, startle’, based on an element of Germanic origin related to Old English frithu ‘peace, safety’ (compare with German Friede ‘peace’).