stir-fry

1 of 2

verb

stir-fried; stir-frying; stir-fries

transitive verb

: to fry quickly over high heat in a lightly oiled pan (such as a wok) while stirring continuously

intransitive verb

: to prepare food by stir-frying it

stir-fry

2 of 2

noun

: a dish of something stir-fried

Examples of stir-fry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Cabbage has spent an eternity as the workhorse of the stir-fry and the braise, the quiet companion to endless duck legs and pulled pork sandwiches. Kim Severson, New York Times, 10 Mar. 2024 Our best lamb recipes range from holiday roasts to weeknight-friendly stir-fries. Zoe Denenberg, Bon Appétit, 29 Feb. 2024 Substitute whole milk for soy milk in your coffee, or chop up some tofu to add to stir-fries. Selene Yeager, Health, 24 Feb. 2024 Marinating meat before cooking is an essential step in most stir-fries. Deng Haiyan, Saveur, 21 Feb. 2024 It’s outfitted with an ergonomic handle that makes transferring dishes from the stove to oven to table easy, and the wide interior surface area gives stir-fries ample room for searing and browning. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Feb. 2024 Add the chiles, Sichuan peppercorn, and scallions and stir-fry, tossing continuously, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Jing Gao, Saveur, 31 Jan. 2024 But there is virtually no sauce to speak of in this stir-fry — the noodles absorb the flavorings and in doing so take on a brownish hue. Christopher Kimball, San Diego Union-Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 Add chicken and stir-fry until no longer pink, about 3-4 minutes. Julie Hirschhorn, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024
Noun
This noodle bowl can be a main dish or the supporting player to a vegetable stir-fry. Elyssa Goldberg, Bon Appétit, 16 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stir-fry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Verb

1955, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

1959, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of stir-fry was in 1955

Dictionary Entries Near stir-fry

Cite this Entry

“Stir-fry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stir-fry. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stir-fry

1 of 2 verb
ˈstər-ˈfrī
: to fry quickly over high heat while stirring continuously

stir-fry

2 of 2 noun
-ˌfrī
: a dish of something stir-fried

More from Merriam-Webster on stir-fry

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