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small fry
[ smawl-frahy ]
/ ˈsmɔl ˌfraɪ /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
noun, plural small fry for 3; small fry or small fries for 1, 2.
a child: Here's a treat for the small fry.He's a small fry with a big personality.
an unimportant person or object: Her fancy parties were closed to the small fry.
a small or young fish.
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Origin of small fry
First recorded in 1895–1900; fry2
OTHER WORDS FROM small fry
small-fry, adjectiveWords nearby small fry
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use small fry in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for small fry
small fry
pl n
people or things regarded as unimportant
young children
young or small fishes
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with small fry
small fry
Young children, as in This show is not suitable for small fry.
Persons of little importance or influence, as in She wasn't about to invite the Washington small fry to the reception. Both usages allude to fry in the sense of “young or small fish.” [Late 1800s]
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.