fry

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   cook on a hot surface using fat

   fry the pancakes

2. 2
   verb

   A method of cooking food.

   I am frying the eggs.

3. 3
   verb

   To affect or be affected by extreme heat or current.

   You'll fry if you go out in this sun with no sunblock on.

4. 4
   verb

   To make laugh thoroughly.

   This joke is absolutely frying me.

5. 5
   noun

   A state of excitement.

   to be in a fry

6. 6
   noun

   Young fish; fishlings.

   it is not possible for man to sever the wheat from the tares, the good fish from the other frie; that must be the Angels Ministery at the end of mortall things.

7. 7
   noun

   A swarm, especially of something small.

   a fry of children

8. 8
   name

   Initialism of Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

   With a few strokes, the international creditors helped dismember the FRY and put a fiscal headlock on the newly “independent” republics.

Etymology

From Middle English frie (“spawn of fish, young or small fish, offspring, progeny, children”), probably from Old Norse frjó (“seed, semen”), from Proto-Germanic *fraiwą (“seed, semen, offspring”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)per-, *(s)prey- (“to strew, sow”). Cognate with Icelandic frjó (“pollen, seed”), Icelandic fræ (“seed”), Swedish frö (“seed, embryo, grain, germ”), Danish and Norwegian frø (“seed”), Gothic 𐍆𐍂𐌰𐌹𐍅 (fraiw, “seed”). Likely merging with Old French froiz, froie (“spawn, spawning”), from froier, freier (“to spawn”), from Latin fricō (“to rub”). Compare friable.