curry

¹

[ kur-ee, kuhr-ee ]

noun

, plural cur·ries.

1. East Indian Cooking. a pungent dish of vegetables, onions, meat or fish, etc., flavored with various spices or curry powder, and often eaten with rice.
2. any dish flavored with curry powder or the like:

   a lamb curry.

3. curry powder.

verb (used with object)

, cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.

1. to cook or flavor (food) with curry powder or a similar combination of spices:

   to curry eggs.

curry

²

[ kur-ee, kuhr-ee ]

verb (used with object)

, cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.

1. to rub and clean (a horse) with a currycomb.
2. to dress (tanned hides) by soaking, scraping, beating, coloring, etc.
3. to beat; thrash.

Curry

³

[ kur-ee, kuhr-ee ]

noun

1. John (Anthony), 1949–94, British figure skater.
2. John Steu·art [stoo, -ert, styoo, -], 1897–1946, U.S. painter.

curry

¹

/ ˈkʌrɪ /

verb

1. to beat vigorously, as in order to clean
2. to dress and finish (leather) after it has been tanned to make it strong, flexible, and waterproof
3. to groom (a horse)
4. curry favour
   to ingratiate oneself, esp with superiors

Curry

²

/ ˈkʌrɪ /

noun

1. CurryJohn (Anthony)19491994MBritishSPORT AND GAMES: ice skater John ( Anthony ). 1949–94, British ice skater: won the figure-skating gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games

curry

³

/ ˈkʌrɪ /

noun

1. a spicy dish of oriental, esp Indian, origin that is made in many ways but usually consists of meat or fish prepared in a hot piquant sauce
2. curry seasoning or sauce
3. give someone curry slang.
   to assault (a person) verbally or physically

verb

1. tr to prepare (food) with curry powder or sauce

Word History and Origins

Origin of curry¹

First recorded in 1590–1600, from Tamil kaṟi “sauce, relish”

Origin of curry²

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English curreien, curraien, curry, from Anglo-French curreier, Old French corroier, earlier conreer “to make ready,” from Vulgar Latin conrēdāre (unrecorded); corody

Word History and Origins

Origin of curry¹

C13: from Old French correer to make ready, from Vulgar Latin conrēdāre (unattested), from rēdāre (unattested) to provide, of Germanic origin

Origin of curry²

C16: from Tamil kari sauce, relish

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. curry favor, to seek to advance oneself through flattery or fawning:

   His fellow workers despised him for currying favor with the boss.

2. give (someone) a bit of curry, Australian. to rebuke, discipline, or criticize; harass.

Example Sentences

Many in the US think the UK and the EU are trying to curry favour in Beijing by being less hostile than Washington.

From BBC

Some may be under the mistaken impression that if they curry favor now, maybe they will be spared retribution under a Trump presidency.

From Salon

Within the States, in particular, the cuisine has garnered an erroneous reputation for solely consisting of just curries or meals saturated with oil.

From Salon

The reporting requirements are meant to allow timely public scrutiny over these “behested payments,” which might be an attempt to curry favor with elected officials.

From Los Angeles Times

Now her social-media videos garner hundreds of thousands of views as she prepares Vietnamese egg coffee, pandan-flavored desserts and spicy clam curry.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• sauce
• seasoning