prying
Use Prying in a sentence
ɪŋ00:10
Prying
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| the offspring of a zebra and a donkey. |
verb (used without object)
1.
to inquire impertinently or unnecessarily into something: to pry into the personal affairs of others.
2.
to look closely or curiously; peer; peep.
Origin:
1275–1325; Middle English pryen, prien < ?
1275–1325; Middle English pryen, prien < ?
verb (used with object)
1.
to move, raise, or open by leverage.
2.
to get, separate, or ferret out with difficulty: to pry a secret out of someone; We finally pried them away from the TV.
noun
3.
a tool, as a crowbar, for raising, moving, or opening something by leverage.
4.
the leverage exerted.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To prying
Collins
World English Dictionary
pry1 (praɪ) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb (often foll by into) , pries, prying, pried | |
| 1. | to make an impertinent or uninvited inquiry (about a private matter, topic, etc) |
| —n , pries, prying, pried, pries | |
| 2. | the act of prying |
| 3. | a person who pries |
| [C14: of unknown origin] | |
| pry2 (praɪ) | |
| —vb , pries, prying, pried | |
| 1. | to force open by levering |
| 2. | (US), (Canadian) to extract or obtain with difficulty: they had to pry the news out of him |
| [C14: of unknown origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
pry
"look inquisitively," 1307, from prien "to peer in," of unknown origin, perhaps from O.E. bepriwan "to wink."
pry
"raise by force," 1823 (originally also a noun, "an instrument for prying, a crowbar"), alteration of prize (as though it were a plural) in obsolete sense of "lever" (c.1300), from O.Fr. prise "a taking hold, grasp" (see prize (n.2)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
When confronted with prying civilians, soldiers will sometimes club together to protect their own.
Continue to remove the side ring by progressively prying around the rim.
Do not place packages on the seat or in the floor of your vehicle in view of prying eyes.
Ideally, this handy trick would keep your data safe from prying eyes.
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