noun
fritter
FRIH-tuh
noun
1
A piece of food, often fruit or vegetable, coated in batter and deep-fried.
"We ordered banana fritters for dessert."
verb
1
To waste time, money, or effort gradually on unimportant things.
"He frittered away his savings on lottery tickets."
"Don't fritter the afternoon away scrolling your phone."
How to Use Fritter
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA fried battered snack, or to waste something bit by bit.
Common pairings
fritter away time
fritter away money
apple fritter
Word Forms
frittered past tense, fritters plural, fritters singular
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We ordered banana _____ for dessert.
Etymology
The food sense comes from Old French friture ("frying"), from Latin frigere ("to fry"). The "waste" sense of the verb developed separately in English, likely from an older word for a small fragment.