pry

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to force something apart, open, or out of position by using leverage

   They used a screwdriver to pry the lid off the crate.

2. 2
   verb

   to intrude into another person's private affairs or ask impertinent questions

   I did not mean to pry into your personal life.

3. 3
   noun

   chiefly American: a heavy lever or crowbar used to move or open something

   The mechanic reached for a pry to loosen the jammed panel.

The inquisitive verb descends from Middle English prien or pryen ("to peer or look closely"), probably from an Old English verb meaning to look narrowly. The leverage sense arose separately as an American variant of prize ("to force with a lever"); the tool noun followed from that verb.

Topics