PRY (pried)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected form: pried   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pry mean? 

• PRY (noun)
  The noun PRY has 1 sense:

1. a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge

  Familiarity information: PRY used as a noun is very rare.

• PRY (verb)
  The verb PRY has 4 senses:

1. to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

2. be nosey

3. search or inquire in a meddlesome way

4. make an uninvited or presumptuous inquiry

  Familiarity information: PRY used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

crowbar; pry; pry bar; wrecking bar

Hypernyms ("pry" is a kind of...):

lever (a rigid bar pivoted about a fulcrum)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "pry"):

jim crow (a crowbar fitted with a claw for pulling nails)

jemmy; jimmy (a short crowbar)

Derivation:

pry (to move or force, especially in an effort to get something open)

• PRY (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they pry    ... he / she / it pries   
Past simple: pried   
Past participle: pried   
-ing form: prying   

Sense 1

Meaning:

To move or force, especially in an effort to get something open

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

jimmy; lever; prise; prize; pry

Context example:

Raccoons managed to pry the lid off the garbage pail

Hypernyms (to "pry" is one way to...):

open; open up (cause to open or to become open)

"Pry" entails doing...:

loose; loosen (make loose or looser)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s something PP

Derivation:

pry (a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be nosey

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

Don't pry into my personal matters!

Hypernyms (to "pry" is one way to...):

ask; enquire; inquire (address a question to and expect an answer from)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

prying (offensive inquisitiveness)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Search or inquire in a meddlesome way

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

horn in; intrude; nose; poke; pry

Context example:

This guy is always nosing around the office

Hypernyms (to "pry" is one way to...):

look; search (search or seek)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s PP

Derivation:

prying (offensive inquisitiveness)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Make an uninvited or presumptuous inquiry

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

prise; pry

Context example:

They pried the information out of him

Hypernyms (to "pry" is one way to...):

extort; wring from (get or cause to become in a difficult or laborious manner)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

prying (offensive inquisitiveness)

 Context examples 

I caught it, and prying its bill open, I thrust the stone down its throat as far as my finger could reach.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You stupid, prying goose! answered the dwarf: I was going to split the tree to get a little wood for cooking.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

"Now!" Scott warned, giving the final pry.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Brissenden gave no explanation of his long absence, nor did Martin pry into it.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

You have an unusual buildup of planets in your house of confidential matters, so you may be working on a secret project for your firm, one you must keep away from prying eyes.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

I do not want to pry into other men's concerns.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Holmes pried it open with his chisel.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Its jaws were pried apart to their greatest extension, and a stout stake, sharpened at both ends, was so inserted that when the pries were removed the spread jaws were fixed upon it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

“Sure,” the man replied, driving the hatchet into the crate for a pry.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Nay, lady, said du Guesclin, it does not befit so great and wondrous a power to pry and search and play the varlet even to the beautiful chatelaine of Villefranche.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)