• synonyms


[kur-ee, kuhr-ee]
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noun, verb (used with object), cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.
  1. curry1.


or cur·rie

[kur-ee, kuhr-ee]
noun, plural cur·ries.
  2. any dish flavored with curry powder or the like: a lamb curry.
  3. curry powder.
verb (used with object), cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.

Origin of curry1

First recorded in 1590–1600, curry is from the Tamil word kaṟi sauce


[kur-ee, kuhr-ee]
verb (used with object), cur·ried, cur·ry·ing.
  1. to rub and clean (a horse) with a currycomb.
  2. to dress (tanned hides) by soaking, scraping, beating, coloring, etc.
  3. to beat; thrash.
  1. curry favor, to seek to advance oneself through flattery or fawning: His fellow workers despised him for currying favor with the boss.

Origin of curry2

1250–1300; Middle English cor(r)ayen, cor(r)eyen < Anglo-French curreier, cognate with Old French correer, earlier conreer to make ready < Vulgar Latin *conrēdāre; see corody

Examples from the Web for currying

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

  • I know that is an enormity, but I heard the Major tell of currying horses once.

    Wayside Courtships

    Hamlin Garland

  • "That was a good horse Boise Bill was currying," he suggested.

    The Dude Wrangler

    Caroline Lockhart

  • Life was not all currying or muck-raking for Burt or for me.

  • It was plain that what Marty had said about currying the horses was quite true.

    Janice Day

    Helen Beecher Long

  • The big Hoosier had no thought of compromise or currying favor.

    Hoosier Mosaics

    Maurice Thompson

British Dictionary definitions for currying


noun plural -ries
  2. curry seasoning or sauce
  3. give someone curry Australian slang to assault (a person) verbally or physically
verb -ries, -rying or -ried
  1. (tr) to prepare (food) with curry powder or sauce

Word Origin

C16: from Tamil kari sauce, relish


verb -ries, -rying or -ried (tr)
  1. to beat vigorously, as in order to clean
  3. to groom (a horse)
  4. curry favour to ingratiate oneself, esp with superiors

Word Origin



  1. John (Anthony). 1949–94, British ice skater: won the figure-skating gold medal in the 1976 Olympic Games

Word Origin and History for currying



late 13c., "to rub down a horse," from Anglo-French curreier "to curry-comb a horse," from Old French correier "put in order, prepare, curry," from con-, intensive prefix (see com-), + reier "arrange," from a Germanic source (see ready). Related: Curried; currying.



the spice, 1680s, from Tamil kari "sauce, relish for rice."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper