What does curry mean?
Curry is a broad term for dishes of meat, vegetables, or legumes cooked in a sauce seasoned with a distinctive mixture of spices such as turmeric, cumin, coriander, and chili. The English word derives from Tamil "kari," meaning sauce or relish, and reached Europe through Portuguese and British colonial trade in the 16th and 17th centuries. Today curry describes cuisines across South and Southeast Asia, as well as adapted forms like British chicken tikka masala and Japanese curry rice. Beyond cooking, the word appears in the phrase "to curry favor," meaning to win approval through flattery — an idiom that actually predates the food sense and comes from grooming a horse with a currycomb. Versatile and globally recognized, curry evokes warmth, spice, and culinary fusion.
A dish of meat, vegetables, or legumes cooked in a spiced sauce; also the spice blend itself.
"The restaurant's signature curry blends cumin, coriander, and fresh ginger."
Often used generically in Western contexts, though in South Asian cuisine it may refer specifically to gravy-based preparations.
To seek to gain favor through flattery ('curry favor'), or to groom a horse with a currycomb.
"He was accused of trying to curry favor with the committee members."
'Curry favor' carries a negative connotation of insincere flattery.
Used when referring to multiple distinct curry dishes or varieties.
"The menu features a dozen regional curries from across India."
"Curry" isn't one spice but an entire idea — the word comes from the Tamil "kari," meaning sauce, and was carried into English by 17th-century traders.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of curry
The word curry entered English in the 17th century via Anglo-Indian contact, ultimately from the Tamil word "kari," meaning sauce or relish. It spread through Portuguese trade routes as well, with related forms like Portuguese "caril." A separate, older English verb "curry," meaning to rub down a horse with a comb, comes from an entirely different Germanic root and survives chiefly in the idiom "curry favor."
Related word forms
How curry is actually used
As a noun, "curry" is everyday register in Britain, where "going for a curry" is a common social outing; in South Asia it more often denotes a specific gravy-style dish than a generic category. The verb sense "curry favor" is somewhat formal and always carries a negative connotation of flattery.
Easily confused with curry
Currency is money in circulation, while curry is a spiced dish (or, as a verb, to seek favor or groom a horse).