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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 Hughes, Burton Donnel

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 Leech, John

Some participants in the Mass Wuther have travelled great distances to attend – in the case of Frances Murphy and Katherine Egan, all the way from Australia.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

"It really impacts a lot on my sleep habits," she told Sam Murphy on the Pop Pod, external, saying the pain had got "progressively worse over the past couple of years".

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026

And Capital One analyst Connor Murphy is newly upbeat about the potential for shares of Palo Alto Networks to sustain momentum.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 16, 2026

His “Peaky Blinders” co-star Cillian Murphy remembered Neill as “one of the kindest, funniest and gentlest people, and one of the finest actors,” while Nicole Kidman celebrated Neill as “one of the greats.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

“Ladies,” Mrs. Murphy says, standing at the head of the table.

From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline

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 Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

"Here's the murphies," cried O'Connor, staggering over the slippery weed with a large smoking tin dish.

From The Lighthouse by Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

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 Ballantyne, R. M. (Robert Michael)

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

From Tom Brown's School Days by Hughes, Thomas

He was fast in the arms uv murphies, or maniac, speaking by the card, till the bhoy Samba woke him up.

From Samba A Story of the Rubber Slaves of the Congo by Strang, Herbert

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