Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A certain space of time; respite.
  • To sell upon credit, as goods.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb rare To sell upon credit, as goods.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun obsolete A certain space or period of time; respite.
  • noun A delay; respite.
  • noun Credit; trust.
  • verb transitive To sell (goods) on trust or credit.
  • verb To grant respite.
  • verb To give a debtor credit or time for payment.
  • verb transitive, intransitive To defer; postpone.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English *frist, frest, first, furst, from Old English fyrst, fierst, first ("period, space of time, time, respite, truce"), from Proto-Germanic *fristaz, *fristan (“date, appointed time”), from Proto-Indo-European *pres-, *per- (“forward, forth, over, beyond”). Cognate with North Frisian ferst, frest ("period, time"), German Frist ("period, deadline, term"), Swedish frist ("deadline, respite, reprieve, time-limit"), Icelandic frestur ("period"). See also first.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English *fristen, frysten, fresten, firsten, from Old English *fyrstan ("to defer, delay, put off"), from fyrst, fierst, first ("period, space of time, time, respite, truce"). See Etymology 1. Cognate with Low German versten, German fristen ("to eke out"), Danish friste ("to sustain, support, experience, tempt"), Icelandic fresta ("to delay").

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