Definition

1. Noun:

   • A spicy dish: A dish, originating from South Asian cuisines, consisting of meat, fish, vegetables, or legumes cooked in a spiced sauce or gravy, typically served with rice or bread.
   • The spice mixture for such a dish: The blend of ground spices (such as turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili peppers) used to flavor the dish, often called "curry powder" or "curry paste."

2. Verb:

   • To prepare or flavor with curry spices: To cook food using a mixture of curry spices.
   • To groom an animal: To rub down or clean the coat of an animal, especially a horse, with a special comb (a currycomb).
   • To treat leather: To treat tanned leather by soaking, scraping, and oiling it to improve its quality.

Examples

• Noun:

  • We had a delicious vegetable curry for dinner.
  • She bought a jar of red curry paste to make the soup.

• Verb (to flavor with spices):

  • The chef will curry the lamb with a blend of traditional spices.
• Verb (to groom):
  • The stable hand curries the horses every morning.
• Verb (to treat leather):
  • The artisan curried the hide to make it soft and supple.

Advanced Usage

• "to curry favor (with someone)": To seek to gain favor or approval from someone through flattery or servile behavior.
  • He is always trying to curry favor with the new manager.

Variants and Related Words

• Curried (adj.): Describes food prepared with curry spices.
  • curried chicken
• Curry powder (n.): A commercially prepared mixture of ground spices used to make curry.
• Currycomb (n.): A metal comb or brush used for grooming horses.

Synonyms

• Noun (dish): Stew, casserole (though these are not exact synonyms, they describe similar one-pot meals).
• Verb (groom): Brush, groom, clean.
• Verb (seek favor): Flatter, fawn, toady.

Related Phrasal Verbs / Phrases

• Curry favor: This is the primary fixed phrase using the verb "curry." It is always used with "favor" (or, in British English, "favour").
  • Politicians often curry favor with voters before an election.

Related Idioms

• "To curry favor" is the only common idiom. Its origin is unrelated to the food and comes from an Old French phrase involving grooming a horse.

Noun

1. (East Indian cookery) a pungent dish of vegetables or meats flavored with curry powder and usually eaten with rice

Verb

1. give a neat appearance to
   • groom the dogs
   • dress the horses
2. treat by incorporating fat
   • curry tanned leather
3. season with a mixture of spices; typical of Indian cooking