English word origin

Etymology of pry

3 source sectionsExtended source reportWiktionary original ↗

In this entry · 3 source sections

The source etymologies

Wiktionary via Kaikki / Wiktextract

The source reports below are imported and unreviewed by *SET-U. Separate numbered origins and differing source variants are preserved; agreement within this extraction is not independent corroboration.

Source etymology 1

Original entry ↗

noun

An act of prying; a close and curious look. · A person who is very inquisitive or nosy; a busybody, a nosey parker.

verb

To peer closely and curiously, especially at something closed or not public. · To inquire into something that does not concern one; to be nosy; to snoop. · To peer at (something) closely; also, to look into (a matter, etc.) thoroughly.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

The verb is inherited from Middle English prien, pryen (“to look closely, peer into, pry, spy”) [and other forms], from Old English *prīwan, *prēowian (“to look narrowly, to squint at”), attested by Old English beprīwan, beprēwan (“to wink”); further etymology unknown, but probably akin to Old English *prēowot (“closing of the eyes”), attested only in combination – compare prēowthwīl (“blink or twinkling of an eye, moment”), princ (“a wink”): see prink. The noun is derived from the verb.

Relationships mentioned by the source

These are extracted mentions, not a timeline or a verified sequence of immediate parents.

Inherited-form mentionprienenm
Inherited-form mention*prīwanang
Cognate mentionbeprīwanang
Cognate mention*prēowotang · closing of the eyes

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "prēowthwīl",
      "preowthwil#Old_English"
    ],
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      "princ#Old_English"
    ],
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      "prink#English"
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Source etymology 2

Original entry ↗

verb

To use leverage to open, raise, or widen (something); to prise or prize. · Usually followed by out (of): to draw out or get (information, etc.) with effort.

noun

A tool for levering; a crowbar, a lever.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

The noun is probably a back-formation from prise, prize (“tool for levering, lever”), construed as the plural of pry. The verb is either derived from the noun, or is a back-formation from prise (“to force open with a lever”), construed as pries, the third-person singular present form of pry.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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      "pries#English"
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Source etymology 3

Original entry ↗

adv

Probably.

Selected source glosses provide context, not a complete modern definition inventory

Clipping.

Inspect preserved source fields

Raw extraction fields are retained for auditing. Their order does not establish ancestry.

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        "Probably."
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Where this record stops

This page does not supply an independently verified sound-change sequence, first-use manuscript or complete family tree unless a cited analysis explicitly establishes one. Missing detail here is a limit of this record—not a claim that humanity knows nothing more.

An older meaning does not determine what a word must mean today. Follow the sources, preserve disagreements, and keep ancestry separate from interpretation.

Contribute located evidence for pry →

Source and snapshot

Imported from Wiktionary contributors; extracted by Tatu Ylonen / Wiktextract / Kaikki.org. Selected fields are reformatted and grouped; wording, source identity and etymology sections are retained. CC-BY-SA-4.0 applies to the imported source material.

Dump: 2026-10-01 · Extracted: 2026-10-30. These are snapshot dates, not the word’s first attestation or the page’s revision date.

Source entry and bibliography ↗Wiktionary revision history ↗Acquisition and rights ledger

Machine-source provenance

Source SHA-256: 5ff2c072f8099f2d2ce484bd6957bf179f046d2ad37bc36555edf8bb84cb5291
Import run: 73216b9a9b78ed3830994bf853103716f5a4dc57099e371e9f8fdc468facca26
Permanent entry ID: w-cHJ5