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cur·ry 1 (kûrē, kŭrē)
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tr.v. cur·ried, cur·ry·ing, cur·ries
1. To groom (a horse) with a currycomb.
2. To prepare (tanned hides) for use, as by soaking or coloring.
Idiom:
curry favor
To seek or gain favor by fawning or flattery.

[Middle English curreien, from Anglo-Norman curreier, to arrange, curry, from Vulgar Latin *conrēdāre : Latin com-, com- + Vulgar Latin *-rēdāre, to make ready (of Germanic origin; see reidh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots). Curry favor, by folk etymology from Middle English currayen favel, from Old French correier fauvel, to curry a fallow-colored horse, be hypocritical (from the fallow horse as a medieval symbol of deceit).]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
cur·ry 2 also cur·rie (kûrē, kŭrē)
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n. pl. cur·ries
1. A dish of meat or vegetables flavored with pungent spices, typical of South Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines.
2. A blend of spices used in or suggesting the flavor of curry, typically containing turmeric, cumin, coriander, and ginger, among other ingredients.
3. Curry powder.
tr.v. cur·ried, cur·ry·ing, cur·ries
To season (food) with curry.

[Tamil kai.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.