Part 373

Fru"ti*cant (?), a. [L. fruticans, p. pr. of fruticare, to become bushy, fr. frutex, fruticis, shrub.] Full of shoots. [Obs.] Evelyn.

Fru"ti*cose` (?), a. [L. fruticosus, from frutex, fruticis, shrub] (Bot.) Pertaining to a shrub or shrubs; branching like a shrub; shrubby; shrublike; as, a fruticose stem. Gray.

Fru"ti*cous (?), a. (Bot.) Fruticose. [R.]

Fru*tic"u*lose` (?), a. [Dim. fr. L. fruticosus bushy: cf. F. fruticuleux.] (Bot.) Like, or pertaining to, a small shrub. Gray.

Fry (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Fried (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frying.] [OE. frien, F. frire, fr. L. frigere to roast, parch, fry, cf. Gr. &?;, Skr. bhrajj. Cf. Fritter.] To cook in a pan or on a griddle (esp. with the use of fat, butter, or olive oil) by heating over a fire; to cook in boiling lard or fat; as, to fry fish; to fry doughnuts.

Fry, v. i. 1. To undergo the process of frying; to be subject to the action of heat in a frying pan, or on a griddle, or in a kettle of hot fat.

2. To simmer; to boil. [Obs.]

With crackling flames a caldron fries.

Dryden

The frothy billows fry.

Spenser.

3. To undergo or cause a disturbing action accompanied with a sensation of heat.

To keep the oil from frying in the stomach.

Bacon.

4. To be agitated; to be greatly moved. [Obs.]

What kindling motions in their breasts do fry.

Fairfax.

Fry, n. 1. A dish of anything fried.

2. A state of excitement; as, to be in a fry. [Colloq.]

Fry, n. [OE. fri, fry, seed, descendants, cf. OF. froye spawning, spawn of. fishes, little fishes, fr. L. fricare tosub (see Friction), but cf. also Icel. frÊ, frj, seed, Sw. & Dan. frˆ, Goth. fraiw seed, descendants.]

1. (Zoˆl.) The young of any fish.

2. A swarm or crowd, especially of little fishes; young or small things in general.

The fry of children young.

Spenser.

To sever . . . the good fish from the other fry.

Milton.

We have burned two frigates, and a hundred and twenty small fry.

Walpole.