Frit"ter (?), n. [OR. fritour, friture, pancake, F. friture frying, a thing fried, from frire to fry. See Far, v. t.]
1.
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.
2.
A fragment; a shred; a small piece.
And cut whole giants into fritters.
Hudibras.
Corn fritter. See under Corn.
© Webster 1913.
Frit"ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Frittered (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Frittering.]
1.
To cut, as meat, into small pieces, for frying.
2.
To break into small pieces or fragments.
Break all nerves, and fritter all their sense.
Pope.
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.
© Webster 1913.