curry

Meanings

Noun

• One of a family of dishes originating from Indian cuisine, flavoured by a spiced sauce.
• A spiced sauce or relish, especially one flavoured with curry powder.
• Curry powder.

Verb

• To cook or season with curry powder.
• To groom (a horse); to dress or rub down a horse with a curry comb.
• To dress (leather) after it is tanned by beating, rubbing, scraping and colouring.
• To beat, thrash; to drub.
• To try to win or gain (favour) by flattering.
• To perform currying upon.
• To scurry; to ride or run hastily
• To cover (a distance); (of a projectile) to traverse (its range).
• To hurry.

Origin

• 1747 (as currey, first published recipe for the dish in English from Middle French cuyre (from which also cuisine), from Vulgar Latin cocere, from Latin coquere, present active infinitive of coquō.
• Earlier cury found in 1390 cookbook Forme of Cury (Forms of Cooking) by court chefs of Richard II of England.
• From Middle English currayen, from Old French correer, presumably from Vulgar Latin *conredare, from Latin com- (a form of con-) + a verb derived from Proto-Germanic *raidaz. More at ready.
• Possibly derived from currier, a common 16th- to 18th-century form of courier, as if to ride post, to post. Possibly influenced by scurry.