fried; frying
1
: to cook in a pan or on a griddle over heat especially with the use of fat
2
slang
: electrocute sense 2
3
: to damage or destroy (an electrical device or its circuitry) by overheating especially as a result of unusually high voltage
1
: to undergo frying
2
: to get very hot or burn as if being fried
bodies frying on the beach
plural fries
1
: a social gathering or picnic where food is fried and eaten
a fish fry
2
a
: a dish of something fried
b
: french fry
—usually plural
a burger and fries
c
: a vegetable prepared in the style of a french fry
—usually plural
carrot fries
plural fry
1
a
: recently hatched or juvenile fishes
b
: the young of other animals
2
: very small adult fishes
3
: members of a group or class : individuals
small fry
Examples of fry in a Sentence
Verb
They fried some chicken for us.
We could smell the onions frying.
Recent Examples on the Web
Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Eggs: Soak the matzo in this egg mixture to soften it and then fry it up nice and tender.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
The flavors and frying forms are endlessly versatile and offer a great excuse to load up on cheese, sour cream or ketchup.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
There are several variations: with or without eggs, eggplant fried with or without flour, heavy or light on the sauce—the one constant is the stringy buffalo mozzarella.
—Sara Magro, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Folks who crave the menu at the previous Quinn’s need not worry, as the kitchen is making clam chowder from scratch and frying fish and chips, popcorn shrimp, chicken wings and salt-and-pepper calamari.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Most versions of the latter are egg-and-matzo scrambles, but ours is fried and flipped like a pancake.
—Emma Laperruque, Bon Appétit, 1 Apr. 2024
Jenn Harris revisits one of her favorite subjects: Korean fried chicken.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
How to Make Deep-Fried Deviled Eggs These eggs are best served immediately after frying.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2024
Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The Raising Cane’s menu offers chicken finger box combos that come with a combination of coleslaw, fries and toast.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
After four weeks of voting in an online bracket-style competition, where readers picked between 16 competitors to decide which one is Louisville's favorite spot for French fries, a winner of Starch Madness has been crowned.
—Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 8 Apr. 2024
Healthy ways to cook potatoes French fries are responsible for the potato’s other bad reputation.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Its menu includes hot chicken tenders served on brioche buns with pickles, slaw, house sauce and fries.
—Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
All dinners come with slaw, fries and a homemade roll.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2024
The tender yucca fries that come alongside a jerk-mushroom patacón (a Dominican sandwich made with fried plantains in lieu of bread) are plated with geometric precision.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2024
Returning favorites are Green Dot Stables, with its three cheeseburger and truffle fries bundle and an interesting combination of a pierogi topped with sauerkraut, Mornay sauce, and Velveeta.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
Verb
Keenan's chicken:This Arizona rock star makes killer fried chicken.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 11 Apr. 2024
Eggs: Soak the matzo in this egg mixture to soften it and then fry it up nice and tender.
—Liv Dansky, Southern Living, 8 Apr. 2024
The flavors and frying forms are endlessly versatile and offer a great excuse to load up on cheese, sour cream or ketchup.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
There are several variations: with or without eggs, eggplant fried with or without flour, heavy or light on the sauce—the one constant is the stringy buffalo mozzarella.
—Sara Magro, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
Folks who crave the menu at the previous Quinn’s need not worry, as the kitchen is making clam chowder from scratch and frying fish and chips, popcorn shrimp, chicken wings and salt-and-pepper calamari.
—John Metcalfe, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
Most versions of the latter are egg-and-matzo scrambles, but ours is fried and flipped like a pancake.
—Emma Laperruque, Bon Appétit, 1 Apr. 2024
Jenn Harris revisits one of her favorite subjects: Korean fried chicken.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2024
How to Make Deep-Fried Deviled Eggs These eggs are best served immediately after frying.
—Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Mar. 2024
Noun
The upload began with a photo of two cheeseburgers, tomatoes, lettuce, and cheese sitting next to two plates of French fries and multiple ketchup packets.
—Ingrid Vasquez, Peoplemag, 9 Apr. 2024
The Raising Cane’s menu offers chicken finger box combos that come with a combination of coleslaw, fries and toast.
—Jacqueline Pinedo, Sacramento Bee, 9 Apr. 2024
After four weeks of voting in an online bracket-style competition, where readers picked between 16 competitors to decide which one is Louisville's favorite spot for French fries, a winner of Starch Madness has been crowned.
—Amanda Hancock, The Courier-Journal, 8 Apr. 2024
Healthy ways to cook potatoes French fries are responsible for the potato’s other bad reputation.
—Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 7 Apr. 2024
Its menu includes hot chicken tenders served on brioche buns with pickles, slaw, house sauce and fries.
—Detroit Free Press, 4 Apr. 2024
All dinners come with slaw, fries and a homemade roll.
—Bud Kennedy, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Mar. 2024
The tender yucca fries that come alongside a jerk-mushroom patacón (a Dominican sandwich made with fried plantains in lieu of bread) are plated with geometric precision.
—Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 31 Mar. 2024
Returning favorites are Green Dot Stables, with its three cheeseburger and truffle fries bundle and an interesting combination of a pierogi topped with sauerkraut, Mornay sauce, and Velveeta.
—Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near fry
Cite this Entry
“Fry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fry. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
fry
2 of 3 noun
plural fries
1
: something fried
2
: a get-together where fried food is eaten
a fish fry
fry
3 of 3 noun
plural fry
1
a
: recently hatched or young fish
b
: the young of animals other than fish
2
: very small adult fish
3
: members of a group or class : individuals
small fry
Etymology
Verb
Middle English frien "to fry," from early French frire (same meaning), from Latin frigere "to roast"
Noun
Middle English fry "recently hatched fish," from early French frie (same meaning), from freier, frier "to rub, spawn"
Biographical Definition
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