fry

1 of 3

verb

ˈfrī 

fried; frying

transitive verb

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

intransitive verb

1

: to undergo frying

2

: to get very hot or burn as if being fried

bodies frying on the beach

fry

2 of 3

noun (1)

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

fry

3 of 3

noun (2)

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

Verb

Vegetable shortening: This type of fat evaporates during frying to make flaky, tender pie crust. —Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 18 Sep. 2023

The roster of new concessions items to be sold during football games at AT&T Stadium in 2023 include some cheesy delights: brisket and mac and cheese in a bowl ($16.50), laced with jalapeños and barbecue sauce; and brisket mac and cheese balls ($13.25), breaded in Bar-B-Q Fritos and fried. —Sarah Blaskovich, Dallas News, 14 Sep. 2023

Those include a shrimp-cake version of tian bu lah, the skewered, fried and boiled to order fish cake familiar to anyone who has visited Taiwan’s famous night markets. —Mrussell, oregonlive, 14 Sep. 2023

The high sides are crucial to the cooking process and help when tossing and frying food. —L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 10 Sep. 2023

Many Puerto Rican recipes for fish escabeche call for dredging the fish in flour and then pan frying it in olive oil before dousing it in a vinegary sauce. —G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023

Solar outbursts can fry electronic equipment, jam radio signals, confound GPS systems, and disrupt power grids. —Javier Barbuzano, Quanta Magazine, 7 Sep. 2023

Step 4: Prepare to fry Remove the chops from the marinade. —Cathy Erway, Men's Health, 6 Sep. 2023

Night markets boast fried, steamed, grilled, frozen and sauteed delights on a stick, in a cone or on straw platters as large as your table. —Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2023

Noun

The tangy, spicy, meaty wings served with herb-y fries have been sought-after for decades. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 10 Sep. 2023

There, drag-queens swirled in gigantic platform heels, while waitresses passed around trays of curly fries. —Vulture, 9 Sep. 2023

Sometimes, West will include constructive criticism about the meals: Vegetables could be chopped a little smaller, for instance, or fries could be cooked a little longer. —Amanda Yeager, Baltimore Sun, 6 Sep. 2023

McArthur’s Restaurant & Bar at Arizona Biltmore Dine-in only $55/person Three courses Commence with parmesan fries, spinach cream dip with rosemary crackers or a lobster roll at the spot formerly known as Frank & Albert’s. —Georgann Yara, The Arizona Republic, 7 Sep. 2023

The menu includes fresh ingredients in the menudo, asada fries, chile relleno burger, flautas and more. —Chelsea Hylton, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023

The occasion, of course, was the opening of Chanel’s Lucky Chance Diner, a dazzling fragrance activation complete with burgers, fries, double-C ice cream cones, and retro jukeboxes. —Jenna Rosenstein, Harper's BAZAAR, 7 Sep. 2023

Wendy’s also announced some sweet savings for Uber One members: From September 13-19, subscribers can get a Buy One Get One free Pumpkin Spice Frosty plus a free medium fry (with an order minimum of $15, terms here) for a salty-sweet taste test delivered right to their front door. —Abigail Wilt, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2023

While the names may be a little challenging to remember, the unique flavors add heaps of deliciousness to burgers and sandwiches, or try them with your favorite fries. —Sharon Greenthal, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Sep. 2023

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Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English frien, from Anglo-French frire, from Latin frigere to roast; akin to Greek phrygein to roast, fry, Sanskrit bhṛjjati he roasts

Noun (2)

Middle English, from Anglo-French frie, from freier, frier to rub, spawn — more at fray entry 2

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (1)

1833, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing fry

• deep-fry
• fry bread
• fry-up
• Hangtown fry
• small fry
• pan fry
• stir-fry
• fish fry
• french fry
• fish to fry

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• deep-fry
• fry bread
• fry-up
• Hangtown fry
• small fry
• pan fry
• stir-fry
• fish fry
• french fry
• fish to fry

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Kids Definition

fry

1 of 3 verb

ˈfrī 

fried; frying

: to cook in fat or oil

fry

2 of 3 noun

plural fries

1

: something fried

especially : french fry entry 1

—usually used in plural

steak and fries

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

Fry

biographical name

ˈfrī 

Christopher 1907–2005 English dramatist