pry

pry
    n 1: a heavy iron lever with one end forged into a wedge [syn:
         {crowbar}, {wrecking bar}, {pry}, {pry bar}]
    v 1: to move or force, especially in an effort to get something
         open; "The burglar jimmied the lock": "Raccoons managed to
         pry the lid off the garbage pail" [syn: {pry}, {prise},
         {prize}, {lever}, {jimmy}]
    2: be nosey; "Don't pry into my personal matters!"
    3: search or inquire in a meddlesome way; "This guy is always
       nosing around the office" [syn: {intrude}, {horn in}, {pry},
       {nose}, {poke}]
    4: make an uninvited or presumptuous inquiry; "They pried the
       information out of him" [syn: {pry}, {prise}]
    

Pry \Pry\, n. [Corrupted fr. prize a lever. See {Prize}, n.]
   A lever; also, leverage. [Local, U. S. & Eng.]
   [1913 Webster]

   {Pry pole}, the pole which forms the prop of a hoisting gin,
      and stands facing the windlass.
      [1913 Webster]
    

Pry \Pry\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Pried}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Prying}.]
   To raise or move, or attempt to raise or move, with a pry or
   lever; to prize. [Local, U. S. & Eng.]
   [1913 Webster]
    

Pry \Pry\, v. i. [OE. prien. Cf. {Peer} to peep.]
   To peep narrowly; to gaze; to inspect closely; to attempt to
   discover something by a scrutinizing curiosity; -- often
   implying reproach. " To pry upon the stars." --Chaucer.
   [1913 Webster]

         Watch thou and wake when others be asleep,
         To pry into the secrets of the state.    --Shak.
   [1913 Webster]
    

Pry \Pry\, n.
   Curious inspection; impertinent peeping.
   [1913 Webster]
    

127 Moby Thesaurus words for "pry":
      Paul Pry, Paul-Pry, Peeping Tom, backseat driver, bar, beam,
      beat the bushes, bend the eyes, boom, burrow, busybody, cant hook,
      claw bar, crank, crow, crowbar, delve, delve into, dig, dig into,
      direct the eyes, disengage, disjoin, divide, eavesdropper, elevate,
      explore, fathom, fool with, forage, frisk, fulcrumage,
      get a foothold, get leverage, go into, go through, gossip,
      handspike, hoist, hunt, indagate, inquirer, inquisitive,
      inquisitor, intermeddle, intermeddler, investigate, iron crow,
      jimmy, kibitz, kibitzer, lever, leverage, lift, limb, look,
      look around, look into, look round, look through, marlinespike,
      meddle, meddle with, meddler, mess with, monkey with, mouse, nose,
      nose around, nosy Parker, outrigger, peavey, pedal, peek, peep,
      peer, peer into, pick up, pinch bar, play peekaboo, plumb, poke,
      poke around, poke into, prier, prize, probe, pry into, querier,
      querist, questioner, quidnunc, raise, rear, research, ripping bar,
      root, rubberneck, rubbernecker, scopophiliac, search, search into,
      search through, separate, sift, sightseer, smell around, snook,
      snoop, snooper, sound, spar, spy, take a peep, take up,
      tamper with, treadle, turn, twist, uphold, uplift, upraise, uprear,
      voyeur, wedge, wrecking bar, yenta