fritter

¹

[frit-er]

verb (used with object)

1. to squander or disperse piecemeal; waste little by little (usually followed byaway ).

   to fritter away one's money; to fritter away an afternoon.

   Synonyms: dissipate

2. to break or tear into small pieces or shreds.

verb (used without object)

1. to dwindle, shrink, degenerate, etc. (often followed byaway ).

   to watch one's fortune fritter away.

2. to separate or break into fragments.

   a plastic material having a tendency to fritter.

noun

1. a small piece, fragment, or shred.

fritter

²

[frit-er]

noun

1. a small cake of batter, sometimes containing corn, fruit, clams, or some other ingredient, fried in deep fat or sautéed.

fritter

¹

/ ˈfrɪtə /

verb

1. (usually foll by away) to waste or squander

   to fritter away time

2. to break or tear into small pieces; shred

noun

1. a small piece; shred

fritter

²

/ ˈfrɪtə /

noun

1. a piece of food, such as apple or clam, that is dipped in batter and fried in deep fat

Other Word Forms

• fritterer noun
• unfrittered adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of fritter¹

1720–30; earlier fitter, derivative of fit ( Old English fitt ) a part

Origin of fritter²

1350–1400; Middle English friture, frytour < Old French friture < Late Latin frīctūra a frying, equivalent to Latin frict ( us ), past participle of frīgere to fry ¹ + -ūra -ure

Word History and Origins

Origin of fritter¹

C18: probably from obsolete fitter to break into small pieces, ultimately from Old English fitt a piece

Origin of fritter²

C14: from Old French friture, from Latin frictus fried, roasted, from frīgere to fry, parch

Example Sentences

A two-under 34 on the front nine failed to do that and when McIlroy frittered away two shots on the 10th, it was clear the championship was beyond his reach.

From BBC

Sam Burns and Adam Scott had frittered away their overnight advantage.

From BBC

Their extensive donut menu has 30 variations, including chocolate wildberry fritter, salt and vinegar, red velvet cake and orange dream star.

From Salon

Just ask Henry David Thoreau, who was lamenting in 1854 that our lives are being “frittered away by detail.”

From Los Angeles Times

And here’s the thing: It’s easy to fritter away our power, but it would be a decades-long struggle to regain influence once it’s gone.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dissipate 
• lavish 
• misspend 
• squander