2 entries under this word

Fritter

Frit'ter, n.

noun

n. [Fr. friture, frying, a thing fried, from Lat. frigere, frictum, to fry; Fr. & Pr. frire, Sp. freir, Pg. frigir, It. friggere, It. frittella, Sp. fritilla, fritter, pancake, fritura, a dish of fried meat or fish.]

A small pancake of fried batter; also, a small piece of meat fried.
A fragment; a shred; a small piece.

And cut whole giants into fritters. Hudibras.

Frĭt'ter, v. t.

verbtransitive

[imp. & p. p. FRITTERED; p. pr. & vb. n. FRITTERING.] 1. To cut, as meat, into small pieces, for frying. 2. To break into small pieces or fragments.

Break all their nerves, and fritter all their sense. Pope.

To fritter away, to diminish; to pare off; to reduce to nothing by taking away a little at a time; also, to spend in trifling employment, as to fritter away time.