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/frˈɪtər/ Listen

noun

Fritter n.

A small quantity of batter, fried in boiling lard or in a frying pan. Fritters are of various kinds, named from the substance inclosed in the batter; as, apple fritters, clam fritters, oyster fritters.

A fragment; a shred; a small piece. "And cut whole giants into fritters."

Corn fritter. See under Corn.

verb

Fritter v. t. (past & past part. frittered; pres. part. frittering)

To cut, as meat, into small pieces, for frying.

To break into small pieces or fragments. "Break all nerves, and fritter all their sense."

To fritter away, to diminish; to pare off; to reduce to nothing by taking away a little at a time; also, to waste piecemeal; as, to fritter away time, strength, credit, etc.

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Etymology of 'Fritter'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Fritter" Quotes from Famous Books

... I shall do well at it. I live almost the life of a recluse, seeing very few people and going nowhere that I can help—I mean in the way of parties and so forth; if my friends had their way they would fritter away my time without any remorse; but I made a regular stand against it from the beginning and so, having my time pretty much in my own hands, work hard; I find, as I am sure you must find, that it is next to impossible to combine what is commonly ...

— The Humour of Homer and Other Essays • Samuel Butler

... need," said the monk, with a meaning look, "to fritter away the time in gewgaws which shall raise up the pale ghosts of hopes of early years. Bury them, heap penance and mortification on their heads, keep them down, and let the convent be ...

— The Life And Adventures Of Nicholas Nickleby • Charles Dickens

... sort, perhaps; driven to the life by force of circumstances—yet still an adventurer. His position proclaimed him one. He looked for reward from the country which had purchased his sword, and had no inclination to fritter away his chances of espousing any cause but the winning one. At the same time he was an Englishman: a birth privilege carrying with it weighty responsibilities, which he could not away with as easily as he had cast aside his country. There were few ties ...

— Princess Maritza • Percy Brebner

... what she had meant. "You see," the glance had said, "Plantagenet is beginning to take an interest in his cousin, and you know why. The man who is to be the father of the future dukes must not be allowed to fritter away his time in obscurity. Had I that cradle up-stairs Jeffrey might be as idle as he pleased." Alice ...

— Can You Forgive Her? • Anthony Trollope

... it with some herbs of a sour taste. Consequently, in the seasoning of their food they consume nothing, so that they save the cost of butter, oil, vinegar, and all spices. They are accustomed to make their puches [i.e., a sort of pap] and poleadas [i.e., a sort of fritter] from cocoanut milk and the honey made from sugarcane, which are their preserves and royal cakes. But such is at a great wedding or at a feast, where their desire for ostentation arouses their endeavors. Such were presented to me by the king of Jolo, Panguian Bachal, while I was ...

— The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55 • Francisco Colin

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