murphy

[mur-fee] /ˈmɜr fi/
noun, plural murphies.
1.
an Irish or white potato.
2.
any of various confidence games in which a victim is left with a sealed envelope supposedly containing money, but which contains only newspaper or scrap paper cut to the same size as paper money.
verb (used with object), murphied, murphying.
3.
to victimize or dupe in such a manner.
Origin
1805-15; special uses of Murphy, a typical Irish surname

Murphy

[mur-fee] /ˈmɜr fi/
noun
1.
Frank, 1890–1949, U.S. statesman and jurist: associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1940–49.
2.
Isaac, 1861–96, U.S. thoroughbred racehorse jockey.
3.
William Parry [par-ee] /ˈpær i/ (Show IPA), 1892–1987, U.S. physician: Nobel Prize in medicine 1934.
British Dictionary definitions for murphy

murphy

/ˈmɜːfɪ/
noun (pl) -phies
1.
a dialect or informal word for potato
Word Origin
C19: from the common Irish surname Murphy

Murphy

/ˈmɜːfɪ/
noun
1.
Alex. born 1939, English rugby league player and coach; scored 16 tries in 27 test matches for Great Britain (1958–71)
2.
Eddie, full name Edward Regan Murphy. born 1951, US film actor and comedian. His films include 48 Hours (1982), Beverly Hills Cop (1984), Coming to America (1988), Dr Dolittle (1998), and, as a voice artist, the Shrek series of animated films (2001–10)
3.
William Parry. 1892–1987, US physician: with G. R. Minot, he discovered the liver treatment for anaemia and they shared, with G. H. Whipple, the Nobel prize for physiology or medicine in 1934
Word Origin and History for murphy

Murphy

Gaelic Murchadh "sea-warrior." The Celtic "sea" element is also in names Muriel (q.v.), Murdoch (Old Irish Muireadhach, Old Welsh Mordoc "mariner"), etc. Murphy bed (1925) is named for U.S. inventor William Lawrence Murphy (1876-1959). By happy coincidence, Murphy was an illiterate 18c.-19c. perversion of Morpheus, god of sleep.

murphy in Medicine

Murphy Mur·phy (mûr'fē), William Parry. 1892-1987.

American physician. He shared a 1934 Nobel Prize for discovering that a diet of liver relieves anemia.

Slang definitions & phrases for murphy

murphy

noun
  1. A potato (1811+)
  2. A confidence game in which the victim is left with a sealed envelope supposed to contain something valuable, but in fact filled with blank paper (1960s+ Underworld)
  3. wedgie (1980s+ Students)
verb

: Mayor Smitherman was ''murpheyed'' by the Negro confidence man