murphy
noun
an Irish or white potato.
murphy
1 American
[mur-fee]
/ ˈmɜr fi /
noun
-
murphies
plural
-
an Irish or white potato.
-
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.
verb (used with object)
murphied,
murphying
Murphy
2
American
[mur-fee]
/ ˈmɜr fi /
noun
-
Frank, 1890–1949, U.S. statesman and jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1940–49.
-
Isaac, 1861–96, U.S. thoroughbred racehorse jockey.
-
William Parry 1892–1987, U.S. physician: Nobel Prize in medicine 1934.
Murphy
1
British
/ ˈmɜːfɪ /
noun
-
Alex. born 1939, English rugby league player and coach; scored 16 tries in 27 test matches for Great Britain (1958–71)
-
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)
-
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
murphy
2
British
/ ˈmɜːfɪ /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of murphy
First recorded in 1805–15; special uses of Murphy, a typical Irish surname
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.
See Examples For:
A studio apartment with a shared murphy bed became their home.
From Washington Times ● Oct. 15, 2015
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
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
Speaking on the BBC Radio Cymru's 'Beti a'i Phobol', Murphy, originally from Caerphilly, said that he often speaks about Wales with his girlfriend's family.
From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026
“I’m grateful for the opportunity to compete against the Dodgers, because they obviously have proven to be a dominant baseball organization,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026
“In some places where advocates have been arguing for new action for a decade, we are seeing sudden movement,” Murphy said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026
Snell then struck out Sean Murphy to end the inning, finishing the at-bat with three straight curveballs for strikes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026
If we had a telephone, I’d be calling Doc Murphy every hour.
From "Shiloh" by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
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
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
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 Omoo by Herman Melville
As far as I remimber, I began with murphies, when I was two foot high, in my father’s cabin in ould Ireland.
From Martin Rattler by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
"Here's the murphies," cried O'Connor, staggering over the slippery weed with a large smoking tin dish.
From The Lighthouse by R. M. (Robert Michael) Ballantyne
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.
