pry

English

Pronunciation

• IPA: /praɪ/
• Rhymes: -aɪ

Etymology 1

From Middle English pryen, prien (“to look closely, peer into, pry, spy”), from Old English *prīwan, *prēowian (“to look narrowly, to squint at”), attested by Old English beprīwan, beprēwan (“to wink”). Akin to Old English *prēowot (“closing of the eyes”), attested only in combination, compare prēowthwīl (“blink or twinkling of an eye, moment”), Old English princ (“a wink”). More at prink.

Verb

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

1. To look where one is not welcome; to be nosey.
2. To look closely and curiously at.
   • Shakespeare

     Watch thou and wake when others be asleep, / To pry into the secrets of the state.

Translations

to look where one is not welcome; to be nosey

• Catalan: dotorejar (ca)
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 窺探 (cmn), 窥探 (cmn) (kuītàn)

• Dutch: boren (nl), steken (nl)
• Finnish: urkkia (fi), nuuskia (fi)
• French: scruter (fr), fureter (fr), fouiller (fr)
• German: schnüffeln (de)

• Hebrew: חטטנות (he) (ḥatetanut)
• Italian: sbirciare (it)
• Japanese: 首を突っ込む (ja) (kubi-o tsukkomu), 詮索する (ja) (せんさくする, sensaku-suru)
• Portuguese: bisbilhotar (pt), xeretar (pt), fofocar (pt)
• Russian: подсматривать (ru) (podsmátrivat'), выведывать (ru) (vyvédyvat'), шпионить (ru) (špiónit’), следить (ru) (sledít’)

Noun

pry

1. The act of prying
2. An excessively inquisitive person

Etymology 2

1800, back-formation from prize. ("lever"), construed as a plural noun or as a 3rd person singular verb.

Noun

pry (plural pries)

1. A lever.
2. Leverage.

Translations

lever

• Dutch: priem (nl) m, hefboom (nl) m, hendel (nl) m
• Hebrew: מנוף (he) (manof) m

• Russian: рычаг (ru) (ryčág) m

leverage

• Dutch: hefboomkracht (nl) f, hefboom (nl) m, invloed (nl) m

• Hebrew: הנפה (he) (hanafa) f

Verb

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

1. To use leverage to open or widen. (See also prise and prize.)

Translations

use leverage to open or widen

• Dutch: priemen (nl), wrikken (nl), openwrikken (nl)
• French: s’immiscer (fr)

• Italian: intrudere (it), effrarre (it)