fry
fry Lexical Profile
fry Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A narrow strip of potato that has been deep-fried in oil or fat until crisp; a French fry (usually used in the plural).
"She ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with a side of crispy fries."
Newly hatched, juvenile fish that have absorbed their yolk sacs and are able to swim and feed independently.
"Thousands of tiny salmon fry sheltered among the pebbles in the shallow stream."
North American A social gathering or outdoor meal at which fried food, especially freshly caught fish, is prepared and served.
"The community center hosts an annual fish fry every summer by the lake."
• verb
To cook food in hot fat or oil, typically in a shallow pan over direct heat or submerged in a deep fryer.
"He decided to fry the onions in olive oil until they turned golden brown."
To damage, destroy, or burn out an electronic device or circuit by exposing it to excessive heat or electrical current (informal).
"A sudden power surge during the thunderstorm managed to fry the computer's motherboard."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to young fish, the plural form of 'fry' remains 'fry' (an invariant plural), whereas when referring to strips of fried potato, the standard countable plural 'fries' is used.
• Rhymes for fry
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The culinary sense comes from Middle English 'frien', borrowed from Old French 'frire', from Latin 'frigere' ('to roast or fry'). The noun referring to young fish is an unrelated homonym derived from Old Norse 'frjo' ('seed, offspring') via Anglo-Norman 'frie'.