fry

¹

[frahy]

verb (used with object)

fried, frying 

1. to cook in a pan or on a griddle over direct heat, usually in fat or oil.

2. Slang.,  to execute by electrocution in an electric chair.

verb (used without object)

fried, frying 

1. to undergo cooking in fat or oil.

2. Slang.,  to die by electrocution in an electric chair.

noun

plural

fries 

1. a dish of something fried.

2. a piece of french-fried potato.

3. a party or gathering at which the chief food is fried, frequently outdoors.

   a fish fry.

fry

²

[frahy]

noun

plural

fry, fry, fries. 

1. a young fish.

   a salmon fry.

2. a young animal of certain other kinds, as frogs and oysters.

3. a person, especially a young or unimportant one.

   The prime minister had to bank on the cooperation of lesser fry.

Fry

³

[frahy]

noun

1. Christopher, 1907–2005, English playwright.

fry

¹

/ fraɪ /

verb

1. to cook or be cooked in fat, oil, etc, usually over direct heat

2. informal,  (intr) to be excessively hot

3. slang,  to kill or be killed by electrocution, esp in the electric chair

noun

1. a dish of something fried, esp the offal of a specified animal

   pig's fry

2. a social occasion, often outdoors, at which the chief food is fried

3. informal,  the act of preparing a mixed fried dish or the dish itself

Fry

²

/ fraɪ /

noun

1. Christopher . 1907–2005, English dramatist; author of the verse dramas A Phoenix Too Frequent (1946), The Lady's Not For Burning (1948), and Venus Observed (1950)

2. Elizabeth . 1780–1845, English prison reformer and Quaker

3. Roger Eliot . 1866–1934, English art critic and painter who helped to introduce the postimpressionists to Britain. His books include Vision and Design (1920) and Cézanne (1927)

4. Stephen ( John ). born 1957, British writer, actor, and comedian; his novels include The Liar (1991) and The Stars' Tennis Balls (2000)

fry

³

/ fraɪ /

plural noun

1. the young of various species of fish

2. the young of certain other animals, such as frogs

3. young children See also small fry

Other Word Forms

• fryable adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fry¹

First recorded in 1250–1300; 1925–30 fry ¹ for def. 2; Middle English frien, from Anglo-French, Old French frire, from Latin frīgere “to roast”

Origin of fry²

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English frie, fry “seed, descendant,” perhaps from Old Norse frjō “seed”; cognate with Swedish frö, Gothic fraiw “seed”

Word History and Origins

Origin of fry¹

C13: from Old French frire , from Latin frīgere to roast, fry

Origin of fry²

C14 (in the sense: young, offspring): perhaps via Norman French from Old French freier to spawn, rub, from Latin fricāre to rub

Example Sentences

Oils behave differently when heated which makes some of them unsuitable for frying.

From BBC

Currently at London's Selfridges, you can buy fish and chips soft toys, sold to you by an assistant pretending to fry and put salt and vinegar on your selected teddies.

From BBC

My steak was cooked perfectly and complemented by the numerous sides, which include hen of the woods mushrooms, Japanese sweet potato and hand-cut black truffle fries.

From Salon

Similar to the Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese, TJ’s Butternut Squash Mac & Cheese Bites features the same indulgent pasta but rolled up into bite-sized balls, dipped in batter and lightly fried.

From Salon

This week's victims ate meals that included soy sauce chicken, fried tofu, vegetables and fruit – but past poisoning incidents have been linked to expired sauce and, in one case, the serving of fried shark.

From BBC

Related Words

• sauté