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. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fragment; a shred; a small piece. [ 1913 Webster ]

And cut whole giants into fritters. Hudibras. [ 1913 Webster ]

Corn fritter. See under Corn. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Frittered p. pr. & vb. n. Frittering. ] 1. To cut, as meat, into small pieces, for frying. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To break into small pieces or fragments. [ 1913 Webster ]

Break all nerves, and fritter all their sense. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

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. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Frit to expose to heat. ] The formation of frit or slag by heat with but incipient fusion. [ 1913 Webster ]