crumb

[ kruhm ]
See synonyms for crumb on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a small particle of bread, cake, etc., that has broken off.

  2. a small particle or portion of anything; fragment; bit.

  1. the soft inner portion of a bread (distinguished from crust).

  2. crumbs, a cake topping made of sugar, flour, butter, and spice, usually crumbled on top of the raw batter and baked with the cake.

  3. Slang. a contemptibly objectionable or worthless person.

verb (used with object)
  1. Cooking. to dress or prepare with crumbs.

  2. to break into crumbs or small fragments.

  1. to remove crumbs from: The waiter crumbed the table.

Origin of crumb

1
before 1000; Middle English crome, crume,Old English cruma; akin to Dutch kruim,German Krume crumb, Latin grūmus heap of earth

Other words for crumb

Other words from crumb

  • crumb·a·ble, adjective
  • crumber, noun
  • de·crumb, verb (used with object)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for crumb

crumb

/ (krʌm) /


noun
  1. a small fragment of bread, cake, or other baked foods

  2. a small piece or bit: crumbs of information

  1. the soft inner part of bread

  2. slang a contemptible person

verb
  1. (tr) to prepare or cover (food) with breadcrumbs

  2. to break into small fragments

adjective
  1. (esp of pie crusts) made with a mixture of biscuit crumbs, sugar, etc

Origin of crumb

1
Old English cruma; related to Middle Dutch krome, Middle High German krūme, Latin grūmus heap of earth

Derived forms of crumb

  • crumber, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012