PRY

crowbar, wrecking bar, pry, pry bar

(noun) a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge

pry

(verb) be nosey; “Don’t pry into my personal matters!”

pry, prise, prize, lever, jimmy

(verb) to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open; “The burglar jimmied the lock”; “Raccoons managed to pry the lid off the garbage pail”

pry, prise

(verb) make an uninvited or presumptuous inquiry; “They pried the information out of him”

intrude, horn in, pry, nose, poke

(verb) search or inquire in a meddlesome way; “This guy is always nosing around the office”

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology 1

Verb

pry (third-person singular simple present pries, present participle prying, simple past and past participle pried)

(intransitive) To look where one is not welcome; to be nosy.

(intransitive) To keep asking about something that does not concern one.

(intransitive) To look closely and curiously at (something closed or not public).

Noun

pry (plural pries)

The act of prying.

An excessively inquisitive person.

Etymology 2

Noun

pry (plural pries)

A lever.

Leverage.

Verb

pry (third-person singular simple present pries, present participle prying, simple past and past participle pried)

To use leverage to open or widen.

Synonyms: prise (British English), prize

Anagrams

• pyr-

Proper noun

Pry (plural Prys)

A surname.

Statistics

• According to the 2010 United States Census, Pry is the 19966th most common surname in the United States, belonging to 1343 individuals. Pry is most common among White (94.49%) individuals.

Anagrams

• pyr-

Source: Wiktionary


Pry, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. prize a lever. See Prize, n.]

Definition: A lever; also, leverage. [Local, U. S. & Eng.] Pry pole, the pole which forms the prop of a hoisting gin, and stands facing the windlass.

Pry, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pried; p. pr. & vb. n. Prying.]

Definition: To raise or move, or attempt to raise or move, with a pry or lever; to prize. [Local, U. S. & Eng.]

Pry, v. i. Etym: [OE. prien. Cf. Peer to peep.]

Definition: To peep narrowly; to gaze; to inspect closely; to attempt to discover something by a scrutinizing curiosity; -- often implying reproach. " To pry upon the stars." Chaucer. Watch thou and wake when others be asleep, To pry into the secrets of the state. Shak.

Pry, n.

Definition: Curious inspection; impertinent peeping.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

16 April 2024

CONFIDENCE

(noun) a state of confident hopefulness that events will be favorable; “public confidence in the economy”


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Coffee Trivia

According to Guinness World Records, the largest collection of coffee pots belongs to Robert Dahl (Germany) and consists of 27,390 coffee pots as of 2 November 2012, in Rövershagen, Germany.

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