fritter

¹ American  

[frit-er] / ˈfrɪt ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to squander or disperse piecemeal; waste little by little (usually followed byaway ).

   to fritter away one's money; to fritter away an afternoon.

   Synonyms:

   dissipate

2. to break or tear into small pieces or shreds.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dwindle, shrink, degenerate, etc. (often followed byaway ).

   to watch one's fortune fritter away.

2. to separate or break into fragments.

   a plastic material having a tendency to fritter.

noun

1. a small piece, fragment, or shred.

fritter ² American  

[frit-er] / ˈfrɪt ər /

noun

1. a small cake of batter, sometimes containing corn, fruit, clams, or some other ingredient, fried in deep fat or sautéed.

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fritter ¹ British  

/ ˈfrɪtə /

verb

1. (usually foll by away) to waste or squander

   to fritter away time

2. to break or tear into small pieces; shred

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noun

1. a small piece; shred

fritter ² British  

/ ˈfrɪtə /

noun

1. a piece of food, such as apple or clam, that is dipped in batter and fried in deep fat

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Other Word Forms

• fritterer
  noun
• unfrittered
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of fritter¹

1720–30; earlier fitter, derivative of fit ( Old English fitt ) a part

Origin of fritter²

1350–1400; Middle English friture, frytour < Old French friture < Late Latin frīctūra a frying, equivalent to Latin frict ( us ), past participle of frīgere to fry ¹ + -ūra -ure

Explanation

A person who fritters chooses to spend their energy on things that are wasteful. You can fritter money, time, or energy, but once you've "frittered it away," you can't get it back! The first time you get a paycheck, you might be tempted to go on a spending spree, buying fireworks, a rabbit costume, and a giant gumball machine. But be careful, because if you fritter away your hard-earned cash like that, you won’t have any left for important things, like food and rent. The Old English root of the word means “break into fragments,” which is what happens to someone who fritters their life away.

Example Sentences

Federal Fritter, inside the door, is an offshoot of a pop-up the owners introduced outside Equinox in February 2020 and plays to beachgoers in search of a hot snack and a cold drink.

From Washington Post • Aug. 24, 2021

Four Apple Fritter Timbits have significantly less calories, fat, and sodium than one Apple Fritter Donut!

From Time • May 22, 2015

Fritter fans might forgo hush-puppy-like jalapeño corn fritters that are a little doughy and short on corn, and save room instead for cookie-dough fritters.

From Seattle Times • Jul. 11, 2013

"Ticking away the moments / That make up a dull day / Fritter and waste the hours / In an off-hand way."

From Slate • Dec. 21, 2012

Fritter writes very powerfully on our publishing situation in this number; and his article should not only be perused with attention, but heeded with sincerity and industriousness.

From Writings in the United Amateur, 1915-1922 by Lovecraft, H. P. (Howard Phillips)

Related Words

• dissipate
• lavish
• misspend
• squander