curried; currying
1
: to clean the coat of (an animal, such as a horse) with a currycomb
2
: to treat (tanned leather) especially by incorporating oil or grease
see also curry favor
variants
or less commonly currie
plural curries
1
: a food, dish, or sauce in Indian cuisine seasoned with a mixture of pungent spices
also
: a food or dish seasoned with curry powder
2
curried; currying
: to flavor or cook with curry powder or a curry sauce
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- bash
- baste
- bat
- batter
- beat
- belabor
- belt
- birch
- bludgeon
- buffet
- bung up
- club
- do
- drub
- fib [British]
- flog
- hammer
- hide
- lace
- lambaste
- lambast
- lash
- lather
- lick
- maul
- mess (up)
- paddle
- pelt
- pommel
- pound
- pummel
- punch out
- rough (up)
- slate
- slog
- switch
- tan
- thrash
- thresh
- thump
- tromp
- wallop
- whale
- whip
- whop
- whap
- whup
- work over
Examples of curry in a Sentence
Noun
We had chicken curry for dinner.
The recipe calls for a tablespoon of curry.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
From tequila-marinated to curry paste-smothered, there are almost infinite ways to enjoy the humble chicken wing.
—Ellen Fort and Nicole Clausing, Sunset Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
The point of all of this mass denial is to curry the votes of white people who resent racial equality and America’s changing demographics.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024
That might not matter as the corporate-tech half of the once mighty HP empire tries to curry support for its biggest move ever.
—Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2024
Lunch consisted of multiple midday snacks that included small bowls of wonton noodles from Mak’s Noodle, a pineapple bun with butter at a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong–style diner), curry fish balls from street vendors, or egg tarts from Tai Cheong Bakery.
—Christina Liao, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2023
He’s also curried a certain level of idolatry from the contemporary American right.
—Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023
Located at the top of the Blackcomb Gondola, this mountaintop haunt has a seafood-forward menu but serves a bit of everything, from burgers to curry.
—Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
If nothing else, the Pauls know how to curry that attention.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Our little bush camp is a hive of activity as Mike's team pitches tents and a petite cook named Pie stirs a cauldron of chicken curry over a campfire.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024
There are myriad versions of egg curry across India, just as there are endless variations on eggs in purgatory and shakshuka.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Snake meat—which can be used in soups, curries, sauteed on skewers, dried into jerky and barbecued—is similar in flavor and texture to chicken.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
One loaf is stained with turmeric and charged with cumin, curry leaves, and cilantro.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2024
Containers of cooked chicken curry that were prepared more than seven days earlier were in the walk-in cooler.
—Michael Braga, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
Indulgence sells more than 20 varieties of chocolate bars, with flavors from espresso bean to coconut curry to one inspired by IPA beer.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2024
The curry is thickened with enough egg to transform it into a quivering custard that capitulates at the slightest touch of your spoon.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
Verb
Delicious with soft cheeses, curry dishes and other spicy Asian foods.
—Lana Bortolot, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024
From tequila-marinated to curry paste-smothered, there are almost infinite ways to enjoy the humble chicken wing.
—Ellen Fort and Nicole Clausing, Sunset Magazine, 30 Jan. 2024
The point of all of this mass denial is to curry the votes of white people who resent racial equality and America’s changing demographics.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 2 Jan. 2024
That might not matter as the corporate-tech half of the once mighty HP empire tries to curry support for its biggest move ever.
—Dan Gallagher, WSJ, 11 Jan. 2024
Lunch consisted of multiple midday snacks that included small bowls of wonton noodles from Mak’s Noodle, a pineapple bun with butter at a cha chaan teng (Hong Kong–style diner), curry fish balls from street vendors, or egg tarts from Tai Cheong Bakery.
—Christina Liao, Vogue, 29 Nov. 2023
He’s also curried a certain level of idolatry from the contemporary American right.
—Ellie Quinlan Houghtaling, The New Republic, 24 Oct. 2023
Located at the top of the Blackcomb Gondola, this mountaintop haunt has a seafood-forward menu but serves a bit of everything, from burgers to curry.
—Julia Eskins, Travel + Leisure, 3 Nov. 2023
If nothing else, the Pauls know how to curry that attention.
—Brady Brickner-Wood, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
Noun
For one thing, the place serves abalone and curries.
—Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
Our little bush camp is a hive of activity as Mike's team pitches tents and a petite cook named Pie stirs a cauldron of chicken curry over a campfire.
—Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Apr. 2024
There are myriad versions of egg curry across India, just as there are endless variations on eggs in purgatory and shakshuka.
—Melissa Clark, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2024
Snake meat—which can be used in soups, curries, sauteed on skewers, dried into jerky and barbecued—is similar in flavor and texture to chicken.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024
One loaf is stained with turmeric and charged with cumin, curry leaves, and cilantro.
—The Bon Appétit Staff & Contributors, Bon Appétit, 13 Mar. 2024
Containers of cooked chicken curry that were prepared more than seven days earlier were in the walk-in cooler.
—Michael Braga, The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024
Indulgence sells more than 20 varieties of chocolate bars, with flavors from espresso bean to coconut curry to one inspired by IPA beer.
—Rachel Bernhard, Journal Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2024
The curry is thickened with enough egg to transform it into a quivering custard that capitulates at the slightest touch of your spoon.
—Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to curry
Dictionary Entries Near curry
Cite this Entry
“Curry.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curry. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curry
1 of 3 verb
cur·ry
ˈkər-ē 
ˈkə-rē
curried; currying
: to rub and clean the coat of
curry a horse
currier
noun
curry
3 of 3 verb
curried; currying
: to flavor or cook with curry powder
Etymology
Verb
Middle English currayen "to comb the coat of (a horse)," from early French correier "to prepare," probably from a Latin word of Germanic origin
Noun
from Tamil (a language of southern India) kaṟi "a spiced dish of food"
Biographical Definition
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