affreight

transitive verb

af·​freight

a-ˈfrāt,

ə-

-ed/-ing/-s

: to hire or charter (a ship) for the transportation of goods or freight

affreighter

a-ˈfrā-tər

ə-

noun

plural -s

Word History

Etymology

modification (influenced by freight) of French affréter, from a- (from Latin ad-) + fréter to freight or charter a ship, from fret freight, from Old French, from Middle Dutch vrecht, vracht

First Known Use

1831, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!