to cook in a pan or on a griddle over direct heat, usually in fat or oil.
Slang. to execute by electrocution in an electric chair.
to undergo cooking in fat or oil.
Slang. to die by electrocution in an electric chair.
a dish of something fried.
a piece of french-fried potato.
a party or gathering at which the chief food is fried, frequently outdoors.
a fish fry.
a young fish.
a salmon fry.
a young animal of certain other kinds, as frogs and oysters.
a person, especially a young or unimportant one.
The prime minister had to bank on the cooperation of lesser fry.
to cook or be cooked in fat, oil, etc, usually over direct heat
informal (intr) to be excessively hot
slang to kill or be killed by electrocution, esp in the electric chair
a dish of something fried, esp the offal of a specified animal
pig's fry
a social occasion, often outdoors, at which the chief food is fried
informal the act of preparing a mixed fried dish or the dish itself
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)
Elizabeth . 1780–1845, English prison reformer and Quaker
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)
Stephen ( John ). born 1957, British writer, actor, and comedian; his novels include The Liar (1991) and The Stars' Tennis Balls (2000)
the young of various species of fish
the young of certain other animals, such as frogs
young children See also small fry
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”
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English frie, fry “seed, descendant,” perhaps from Old Norse frjō “seed”; cognate with Swedish frö, Gothic fraiw “seed”
To fry food is to cook it in very hot oil until it's crispy. For breakfast, you could fry yourself an egg, and maybe fry some bacon to go with it. You can stir fry vegetables and deep fry doughnuts — and you have to be careful on a hot summer day not to (figuratively) fry yourself in the sun. When fry is a noun, it's usually short for "French fry," but it also means youngster, or "small fry." This less common meaning comes from Scottish, possibly from the Old Norse root frjo, "offspring."
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Each entrée contained approximately 3.0-3.5 ounces of meat and was served in foods such as fajitas, burgers, stew, burritos, and stir fry.
From Science Daily • May 22, 2026
The only discussion was when Gallrein wandered into the area where reporters were seated in the back of the room where he proclaimed, “Welcome to Kentucky, where we fry everything including dessert.”
From Slate • May 19, 2026
This is targeting high-level, big impact threats rather than small fry: trying to minimise the very real possibility of a successful cyber-attack knocking out critical infrastructure and/or causing damage on a national scale, including economically.
From BBC • May 13, 2026
It’s what you reach for when vegetables need a little more character, when grains feel flat, when you want to fry something and have it taste unmistakably like itself, only better.
From Salon • Apr. 26, 2026
I tapped a fry on my plate, but before I could answer, Sookie asked, “Aren’t you eatin’ anything?”
From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
