[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/pry/)

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# pry

verb (pries, pried, prying)

«pry» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

To pry is to force something open or up with a tool, or to ask questions about things that are none of your business. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pry/#m1)

### In the lessons

in stories, someone uses a tool to lever open a lid or a mouth; in everyday life, to look into other people's private matters

### Examples

- He tried to pry the lid off the box with a spoon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pry/#x1)
- Please do not pry into my letters. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pry/#x2)
- The men pried the stone from the ground. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pry/#x3)

### Note

nothing for maths

## In Jewish tradition

In Jeremiah it means to peer and watch closely, like a hunter lying in wait to catch someone.

**Interpretation.** Jeremiah warns that wicked men in Israel lay traps for others. The tradition reads this as a condemnation of cheating the poor.

### Examples

- For among My people are found wicked men; they pry, as fowlers lie in wait; they set a trap, they catch men. (Prophets JER.5.26, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/pry/#x1)

### Note

nothing for maths

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «pry» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/pry/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«pry» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/pry.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «pry» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/P/pry/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«pry» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/pry.html) on Mova free.