Fritter

Part of speech: noun (n.)

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.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

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.