Affray

v. t.	1.	To startle from quiet; to alarm. [p. p. Affrayed.] Smale foules a great heap That had afrayed [affrayed] me out of my sleep. - Chaucer.
	2.	To frighten; to scare; to frighten away. That voice doth us affray. - Shak.
n.	1.	The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack.
	2.	Alarm; terror; fright.
	3.	A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray.
	4.	(Law) The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others.

Noun	1.	affray - noisy quarrel Synonyms: altercation, fracas
	2.	affray - a noisy fight Synonyms: fray, ruffle, disturbance

AFFRAY, criminal law. The fighting of two or more persons, in some public place, to the terror of the people.
     2. To constitute this offence there must be, 1st, a fighting; 2d, the fighting must be between two or more persons; 3d, it must be in some public place ; 4th, it must be to the terror of the people.
     3. It differs from a riot, it not being premeditated; for if any persons meet together upon any lawful or innocent occasion, and happen on a sudden to engage in fighting, they are not guilty of a riot but an affray only; and in that case none are guilty except those actually engaged in it. Hawk. b. 1, c. 65, s. 3 ; 4 Bl. Com. 146; 1 Russell, 271.

altercation, batrachomyomachia, dustup, fracas, quarrel, row, run-in, words, wrangle