stir-fry

American  

[stur-frahy] / ˈstɜrˌfraɪ /

verb (used with object)

stir-fries, present (3rd person singular) stir-fried, past participle, past stir-frying present participle

1. to cook (food) quickly by cutting into small pieces and stirring constantly in a lightly oiled wok or frying pan over high heat: a common method of Chinese cooking.

   Stir-fry the shrimp until it is cooked, then add the rice and egg mixture.

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noun

stir-fries plural

1. a dish of meat, vegetables, etc., that have been cooked over a high heat in a lightly oiled wok or frying pan.

   A stir-fry with chicken and vegetables is an easy weeknight meal.

adjective

1. cooked in a lightly oiled wok or frying pan over high heat; stir-fried.

   This spice blend is made to taste great on all kinds of stir-fry dishes.

stir-fry British  

/ ˈstɜːˈfraɪ /

verb

1. to cook (small pieces of meat, vegetables, etc) rapidly by stirring them in a wok or frying pan over a high heat: used esp for Chinese food

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noun

1. a dish cooked in this way

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stir-fries
  plural

Participles

• stir-frying
  present
• stir-fried
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• stir-fry
  simple
• stir-fries
  simple
• have stir-fried
  perfect
• has stir-fried
  perfect
• am stir-frying
  progressive
• are stir-frying
  progressive
• is stir-frying
  progressive
• have been stir-frying
  perfect progressive
• has been stir-frying
  perfect progressive

Past

• stir-fried
  simple
• had stir-fried
  perfect
• was stir-frying
  progressive
• were stir-frying
  progressive
• had been stir-frying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will stir-fry
  simple
• will have stir-fried
  perfect
• will be stir-frying
  progressive
• will have been stir-frying
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of stir-fry

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

Stir-fry quickly with a little soy sauce and serve warm.

From Washington Post • Sep. 6, 2021

Stir-fry for about 30 seconds more to combine.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 29, 2020

Stir-fry vigorously for 3 to 5 minutes, making sure the meat gets evenly seared but is not overcooked.

From Washington Post • Sep. 25, 2015

Stir-fry a large handful of crickets in hot oil until they brown.

From The Guardian • Sep. 13, 2015

Stir-fry 3 minutes until carrots just begin to soften.

From The Perdue Chicken Cookbook by Perdue, Mitzi