murphy

plural murphies

1. An Irish or white potato.

   "[…

   1857, Thomas Hughes., chapter VI, in Tom Brown's School Days

   1 more example

   To the chimney nook, / Having found admittance, / There I watch a pup / Playing with two kittens / (Playing round the fire, / Which of blazing turf is, / Roaring to the pot / Which bubbles with the murphies) […]

   a. 1848, William Thackeray, "Peg of Limavaddy", in The Irish Sketch Book (1848), page 147

alternative Morphis

1. A common surname from Irish, the anglicized form of Irish Ó Murchadha

   A Granite Bay home previously owned by actor and comedian Eddie Murphy is back on the market for $12 million.

   2015 October 1, Elaine Goodman, “Hot Property: Eddie Murphy's former home is back on the market (slideshow)”, in Sacramento Business Journal, archived from the original on 05 Apr 2016

   1 more example

   After a long talk between these two, and a little broken English from the Frenchmen, our visitors took leave; but Father Murphy had hardly gone a dozen rods when back he came, inquiring whether we were in want of anything.

   1847 March 30, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC

2. A unisex given name transferred from the surname, of occasional usage.

   Sonja made me promise I would go to college. She said she'd wanted her daughter, Murphy, to go. She'd named her baby Murphy because it could never be a stripper name. But her daughter had changed her name to London.

   2012, Louise Erdrich, The Round House, Corsair, published 2013, →ISBN, page 178

3. A number of places in the United States:
   1. A census-designated place, the county seat of Owyhee County, Idaho.
   2. A census-designated place in Jefferson County, Missouri.
   3. A town, the county seat of Cherokee County, North Carolina.
   4. A city in Collin County, Texas.
   5. An unincorporated community in Buchanan County, Virginia.
   6. An unincorporated community in Barbour County, West Virginia.
4. A town in the province of Santa Fe, Argentina.

plural Murphies · alternative Morphis

1. abbreviationellipsisslangEllipsis of Murphy game (“type of confidence trick”).

present singular third person Murphies · participle present Murphying · participle past Murphied · past Murphied · alternative Morphis

1. slangtransitiveTo swindle by means of the Murphy game confidence trick.