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• murphy
  murphy

  noun

  an Irish or white potato.
• Murphy
  Murphy

  noun

  Frank, 1890–1949, U.S. statesman and jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1940–49.

murphy

¹ American  

[mur-fee] / ˈmɜr fi /

noun

• murphies
  plural

1. an Irish or white potato.

2. any of various confidence games in which a victim is left with a sealed envelope supposedly containing money, but which contains only newspaper or scrap paper cut to the same size as paper money.

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verb (used with object)

murphied, murphying

1. to victimize or dupe in such a manner.

Murphy ² American  

[mur-fee] / ˈmɜr fi /

noun

1. Frank, 1890–1949, U.S. statesman and jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1940–49.

2. Isaac, 1861–96, U.S. thoroughbred racehorse jockey.

3. William Parry 1892–1987, U.S. physician: Nobel Prize in medicine 1934.

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Murphy ¹ British  

/ ˈmɜːfɪ /

noun

1. Alex. born 1939, English rugby league player and coach; scored 16 tries in 27 test matches for Great Britain (1958–71)

2. Eddie, full name Edward Regan Murphy . born 1951, US film actor and comedian. His films include 48 Hours (1982), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Coming to America (1988), Dr Dolittle (1998), and, as a voice artist, the Shrek series of animated films (2001–10)

3. William Parry. 1892–1987, US physician: with G. R. Minot, he discovered the liver treatment for anaemia and they shared, with G. H. Whipple, the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine in 1934

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murphy ² British  

/ ˈmɜːfɪ /

noun

1. a dialect or informal word for potato

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• murphies
  plural

Etymology

Origin of murphy

First recorded in 1805–15; special uses of Murphy, a typical Irish surname

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

murphy Murphy murphies

A studio apartment with a shared murphy bed became their home.

From Washington Times ● Oct. 15, 2015

Mike reached over and carefully selected a big murphy, which he held with the thumb of his left hand and fingers circling about it.

From The Launch Boys' Adventures in Northern Waters by Burton Donnel Hughes

A piece of sea-weed has often, heretofore, been used as a barometer; but it is only of late that this purpose has been answered by a murphy.

From The Comic Latin Grammar A new and facetious introduction to the Latin tongue by John Leech

“We look forward to welcoming Paul back when he has fully recovered,” Murphy said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Murphy, who also serves as Inspire’s chief brand officer, said that he will ensure the continuity of its business, and has no plans to change the company’s strategy or direction.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 9, 2026

Eddie Murphy, who co-hosted the 1983 Emmys and withdrew from hosting the 2012 Oscars in solidarity with the now-canceled producer Brett Ratner, continues to apologize for his decades-old jokes about gay people.

From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026

Linda Murphy, from Oma Sustainable Living, said footfall dropped sharply after government services were removed from the Post Office earlier this year.

From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026

None of them were, but Bull kept looking until he finally came to the practice field below the Fairlington Apartments where he walked up to the man who would become Ben’s first coach, Dave Murphy.

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Jack Robinson earnestly advised the faithless man to go home, and help his grandmother, thenceforth, to plant murphies; after which he embarked in his canoe alone, and paddled away into the dreary north.

From Fort Desolation Red Indians and Fur Traders of Rupert's Land by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

With murphies for to ate, An' as many pigs and childer As the fingers on me fate.'

From Verse and Worse by Harry Graham

This was no very cruel task, for "the rich tawny soil seemed specially adapted to the crop; the great yellow murphies rolling out of the hills like eggs from a nest."

From Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, Volume 61, No. 380, June, 1847 by Various

She bakes such stunning murphies, we'll have a penn'orth each for tea.

From Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes

As far as I remimber, I began with murphies, when I was two feet high, in my father's cabin in ould Ireland.

From Martin Rattler by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne

Related Words

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