curry

[ kur-ee, kuhr-ee ]

See synonyms for curry on Thesaurus.com

noun,plural cur·ries.

East Indian Cooking. a pungent dish of vegetables, onions, meat or fish, etc., flavored with various spices or curry powder, and often eaten with rice.
any dish flavored with curry powder or the like: a lamb curry.

curry powder.

verb (used with object),cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.

to cook or flavor (food) with curry powder or a similar combination of spices: to curry eggs.

Idioms about curry

give (someone) a bit of curry, Australian. to rebuke, discipline, or criticize; harass.

Origin of curry

First recorded in 1590–1600, from Tamil kaṟi “sauce, relish”

Sometimes cur·rie .

Other definitions for curry (2 of 3)

curry²

[ kur-ee, kuhr-ee ]

verb (used with object),cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.

to rub and clean (a horse) with a currycomb.
to dress (tanned hides) by soaking, scraping, beating, coloring, etc.

to beat; thrash.

Origin of curry

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English curreien, curraien, curry, from Anglo-French curreier, Old French corroier, earlier conreer “to make ready,” from Vulgar Latin conrēdāre (unrecorded); see origin at corody

Other definitions for Curry (3 of 3)

Curry

[ kur-ee, kuhr-ee ]

noun

John (Anthony), 1949–94, British figure skater.
John Steu·art [stoo-ert, styoo-], /ˈstu ərt, ˈstyu-/, 1897–1946, U.S. painter.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use curry in a sentence

Alaska political observers say they believe her speech is about currying favor with potential backers for her political future.
Palin's Booze Hypocrisy | Shushannah Walshe | January 13, 2010 | THE DAILY BEAST
I know that is an enormity, but I heard the Major tell of currying horses once.
Wayside Courtships | Hamlin Garland
I was put to cleaning stalls and currying horses for my two hours' work each day.
Tramping on Life | Harry Kemp
One man whom she knew slightly, but who did not remember her, was currying his horse in an alley by his stable.
Ruth Fielding At Sunrise Farm | Alice B. Emerson
But the patent tail annoyed the hostler so much while currying the horse that he tied a stone to it to hold it still.
Out of the Hurly-Burly | Charles Heber Clark

Wasn't it simply a case of currying favor with the working-classes?
The Clarion | Samuel Hopkins Adams

British Dictionary definitions for curry (1 of 3)

curry¹

/ (ˈkʌrɪ) /

nounplural -ries

a spicy dish of oriental, esp Indian, origin that is made in many ways but usually consists of meat or fish prepared in a hot piquant sauce
curry seasoning or sauce

give someone curry Australian slang to assault (a person) verbally or physically

verb-ries, -rying or -ried

(tr) to prepare (food) with curry powder or sauce

Origin of curry

C16: from Tamil kari sauce, relish

British Dictionary definitions for curry (2 of 3)

curry²

/ (ˈkʌrɪ) /

verb-ries, -rying or -ried (tr)

to beat vigorously, as in order to clean
to dress and finish (leather) after it has been tanned to make it strong, flexible, and waterproof

to groom (a horse)
curry favour to ingratiate oneself, esp with superiors

Origin of curry

C13: from Old French correer to make ready, from Vulgar Latin conrēdāre (unattested), from rēdāre (unattested) to provide, of Germanic origin

British Dictionary definitions for Curry (3 of 3)

Curry

/ (ˈkʌrɪ) /

noun

John (Anthony). 1949–94, British ice skater: won the figure-skating gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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