noun
fritter
FRIH-tuh
Fritter (noun) means a piece of food, often fruit or vegetable, coated in batter and deep-fried. Example: “We ordered banana fritters for dessert.”
noun
1
A piece of food, often fruit or vegetable, coated in batter and deep-fried.
"We ordered banana fritters for dessert."
verb
1
To waste time, money, or effort gradually on unimportant things.
"He frittered away his savings on lottery tickets."
"Don't fritter the afternoon away scrolling your phone."
How to use fritter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fried battered snack, or to waste something bit by bit.
Common pairings
fritter away time
fritter away money
apple fritter
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Word forms
- Plural
- fritters
- Third person singular
- fritters
- Past tense
- frittered
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
We ordered banana _____ for dessert.
Etymology
The food sense comes from Old French friture ("frying"), from Latin frigere ("to fry"). The "waste" sense of the verb developed separately in English, likely from an older word for a small fragment.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for fritter
See all rhymes for fritter →Frequently asked questions
What does “fritter” mean?
The word “fritter” means a piece of food, often fruit or vegetable, coated in batter and deep-fried. In plain terms, a fried battered snack, or to waste something bit by bit.
How do you pronounce “fritter”?
“Fritter” is pronounced FRIH-tuh (/ˈfɹɪtɚ/ in IPA).
How do you use “fritter” in a sentence?
Here is “fritter” used in a sentence: “We ordered banana fritters for dessert.”
What part of speech is “fritter”?
Depending on how it is used, “fritter” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “fritter” come from?
The word “fritter” comes from Latin. The food sense comes from Old French friture ("frying"), from Latin frigere ("to fry"). The "waste" sense of the verb developed separately in English, likely from an older word for a small fragment.
How many meanings does “fritter” have?
“Fritter” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a piece of food, often fruit or vegetable, coated in batter and deep-fried.
