Synonyms

French fries

American

plural noun

thin strips of potato that have been deep-fried.

Etymology

Origin of French fries

First recorded in 1915–20

Compare meaning

How does french-fries compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

French fries vs. onion rings

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Takhar and doctoral student Yash Shah outlined their findings in two recent studies focused on how microwave frying changes what happens inside French fries during cooking.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign are studying how microwave frying can improve the way French fries are made.

From Science Daily • Apr. 2, 2026

If you had to name a few typical foods for children, my guess is that you’d list chicken nuggets, pizza, French fries and maybe macaroni and cheese.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

“If I’m eating French fries, he’ll have a piece of the fry. If I’m having a pizza, I’ll tear him off the crust and he’ll have the crust,” Hubbard said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 28, 2025

French fries spring loose in the bag, and it shakes around like a maraca.

From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023