fritter

¹ American  

[frit-er] / ˈfrɪt ər /

verb (used with object)

1. to squander or disperse piecemeal; waste little by little (usually followed byaway ).

   to fritter away one's money; to fritter away an afternoon.

   Synonyms:

   dissipate

2. to break or tear into small pieces or shreds.

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verb (used without object)

1. to dwindle, shrink, degenerate, etc. (often followed byaway ).

   to watch one's fortune fritter away.

2. to separate or break into fragments.

   a plastic material having a tendency to fritter.

noun

1. a small piece, fragment, or shred.

fritter ² American  

[frit-er] / ˈfrɪt ər /

noun

1. a small cake of batter, sometimes containing corn, fruit, clams, or some other ingredient, fried in deep fat or sautéed.

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fritter ¹ British  

/ ˈfrɪtə /

verb

1. (usually foll by away) to waste or squander

   to fritter away time

2. to break or tear into small pieces; shred

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noun

1. a small piece; shred

fritter ² British  

/ ˈfrɪtə /

noun

1. a piece of food, such as apple or clam, that is dipped in batter and fried in deep fat

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Other Word Forms

• fritterer noun
• unfrittered adjective

Etymology

Origin of fritter¹

1720–30; earlier fitter, derivative of fit ( Old English fitt ) a part

Origin of fritter²

1350–1400; Middle English friture, frytour < Old French friture < Late Latin frīctūra a frying, equivalent to Latin frict ( us ), past participle of frīgere to fry ¹ + -ūra -ure

Related Words

• dissipate
• lavish
• misspend
• squander