pry

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• /pɹaɪ/
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• Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -aɪ
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• CMU ARPABET: P R AY1 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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* As an Irish surname, spelling variant of Prey, from Ó Préith, probably from na préith (“of the cattle-spoil”) (compare Latin praeda (“plunder, booty”)). * As a German surname, a spelling variant of Prey, from breu (“brew”); see brauen. Comparable to the surname Preyer.

The verb is inherited from Middle English prien, pryen (“to look closely, peer into, pry, spy”) [and other forms], from Old English *prīwan, *prēowian (“to look narrowly, to squint at”), attested by Old English beprīwan, beprēwan (“to wink”); further etymology unknown, but probably akin to Old English *prēowot (“closing of the eyes”), attested only in combination – compare prēowthwīl (“blink or twinkling of an eye, moment”), princ (“a wink”): see prink. The noun is derived from the verb.

The noun is probably a back-formation from prise, prize (“tool for levering, lever”), construed as the plural of pry. The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from prise (“to force open with a lever”), construed as pries, the third-person singular present form of pry.

96 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Bulgarian: надничане (nadničane) — act of prying; close and curious look
• Finnish: urkinta — act of prying; close and curious look
• Finnish: urkkiminen — act of prying; close and curious look
• Finnish: utelu — act of prying; close and curious look
• Finnish: uteleminen — act of prying; close and curious look
• Sicilian: curtigghiari — act of prying; close and curious look
• Bulgarian: любопитко (ljubopitko) — person who is very inquisitive or nosy — see also busybody, nosey parker
• Finnish: urkkija — person who is very inquisitive or nosy — see also busybody, nosey parker
• Finnish: utelija — person who is very inquisitive or nosy — see also busybody, nosey parker
• Māori: whawhewhawhe — person who is very inquisitive or nosy — see also busybody, nosey parker
• Persian: کنجکاو (konjkâv) — person who is very inquisitive or nosy — see also busybody, nosey parker
• Persian: فضول (fozul) — person who is very inquisitive or nosy — see also busybody, nosey parker
• Bulgarian: лост (lost) — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Dutch: priem — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Dutch: hefboom — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Dutch: hendel — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Finnish: kanki — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Finnish: vipu — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• German: Hebel — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Hebrew: מנוף (manof) — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Latvian: svira — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Russian: рыча́г (ryčág) — tool for levering — see also crowbar
• Bulgarian: надничам (nadničam) — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Bulgarian: любопитствам (ljubopitstvam) — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Bulgarian: полюбопитствам (poljubopitstvam) — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Dutch: gluren — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Dutch: loeren — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Dutch: snuffelen — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Finnish: kurkistaa — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Finnish: penkoa — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Finnish: tirkistää — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Finnish: töllistellä — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• French: fureter — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• French: fouiller — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• French: scruter — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• German: genau hinsehen — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• German: genau nachsehen — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Italian: sbirciare — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Latin: inquīrō — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Polish: podpatrywać — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Polish: podpatrzyć — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Spanish: husmear — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Spanish: curiosear — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Spanish: sapear — to peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public
• Bulgarian: пъхам си носа (pǎham si nosa) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Catalan: dotorejar — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Chinese Mandarin: 窺探 /窥探 (kuītàn) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Dutch: boren — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Dutch: steken — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Finnish: nuuskia — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Finnish: tiedustella — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Finnish: udella — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Finnish: urkkia — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• French: s'immiscer — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• German: schnüffeln — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Hebrew: חִטֵּט (khitét) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Hebrew: רִחְרֵחַ (rikhréakh) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Italian: intrudere — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Japanese: 首を突っ込む (kubi-o tsukkomu) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Japanese: 詮索する (sensaku-suru) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Māori: mahira — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Māori: whawhewhawhe — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Persian: سر و گوش آب دادن (sar o guš âb dâdan) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Polish: wścibiać się — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Polish: wścibić się — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Polish: wściubiać się — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Polish: wściubić się — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Portuguese: bisbilhotar — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Portuguese: xeretar — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Russian: подсма́тривать (podsmátrivatʹ) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Russian: следи́ть (sledítʹ) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Russian: шпио́нить (špiónitʹ) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Russian: выве́дывать (vyvédyvatʹ) — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: entremeter — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: fisgar — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: fisgonear — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: hurgar — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: curiosear — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: vidajenear — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Spanish: vinear — to inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy
• Bulgarian: разбивам с лост (razbivam s lost) — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Dutch: openwrikken — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Dutch: priemen — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Dutch: wrikken — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Finnish: kammeta — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Finnish: kangeta — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Finnish: vivuta — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• German: aufhebeln — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Māori: whakatiriwhana — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Slovak: vylámať — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Slovak: vypáčiť — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Spanish: hacer palanca — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Spanish: abrir palanqueando — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Spanish: abrir apalacando — to use leverage to open, raise, or widen
• Bulgarian: извличам (izvličam) — to draw out or get (information, etc.) with effort
• Bulgarian: извлека (izvleka) — to draw out or get (information, etc.) with effort