crumb en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /kɾəm/ (Wales)
- (US) audio
- /kɹʊm/ (Midlands, Northern-England)
- /kɹɐm/ (Australia, New-Zealand)
- /kɾʌm/ (Scotland)
- /kɹʌm/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
From Middle English crome, cromme, crumme, crume, from Old English cruma (“crumb, fragment”), from Proto-Germanic *krumô, *krūmô (“fragment, crumb”). The b is unetymological, as in limb, and first appeared in the mid-15th century, influenced by crumble and words such as dumb, numb, and thumb. Cognate with Dutch kruim (“crumb”), Low German Krome, Krume (“crumb”), German Krume (“crumb”), Danish krumme (“crumb”), Swedish dialectal krumma (“crumb”), Swedish in kråm (“crumbs, giblets”), Icelandic krumur (“crumb”), Latin grūmus (“a little heap”).
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A small piece which breaks off from baked food (such as cake, biscuit or bread).
At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], →OCLC:The pigeons were happily pecking at crumbs of bread on the ground.
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Luke 16:21:
-
(countable, uncountable) A small piece of any other solid substance.
Then erase any pencil lines with a good, soft eraser, rubbing gently, in only one direction. A dustbrush can be useful in removing any eraser crumbs.
2012, Caroline Joy Adams, An Italic Calligraphy Handbook, page 79:
-
(countable, figuratively, uncountable) A bit, small amount.
a crumb of comfort
-
(abbreviation, alt-of, countable, ellipsis, uncountable) Ellipsis of crumb rubber.
alt of crumb rubber
Production of rubber granules, or crumb, is well-established in this country.
2007, R. E. Hester, R. M. Harrison, Waste Treatment and Disposal, page 109:
-
(countable, uncountable) The soft internal portion of bread, surrounded by crust.
Dust unto dust, what must be, must; / If you can't get crumb, you'd best eat crust.
1861, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford:
- (countable, uncountable) A mixture of sugar, cocoa and milk, used to make industrial chocolate.
-
(countable, slang, uncountable) A nobody; a worthless person.
All Dad can think of is a gift certificate from the Melody Inn? And my crumb of a boyfriend doesn't even show up? This is a birthday?
1999, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Alice on the Outside, page 146:
- (countable, slang, uncountable) A body louse (Pediculus humanus).
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| crimb | alternative, dialectal | lexicographic | |
| crumbs | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| crum | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
crumbcloth · crumblet · crumb snatcher · crumber · crumbable · decrumb · bread crumb · crummy · crumbum · cakecrumb · crumb rubber · crumb grinder · crumb-crusher · cake crumbs · crumblike · crumb crusher · crumble · crumb cake · leave no crumbs · crumb cruncher · crumb-cruncher · eat and leave no crumbs · breadcrumb · pick up one's crumbs · toastcrumb · crumbless · crumby · by crumbs
Relateds
Synonyms
nebbish · quidam · fellow · dirtbag · glint · streak of piss · absolute zero · atom · ounce · snead · asswipe · spark · mite · zilch · unworthy · ort · cipher · grain · pig dog · ooch · nowmun · ramp · peon · hoot · hoon · tuppence worth · cipher · lick · hunk · semblance · crumb · atomy · cockstain · rinky-dink · speck · aught · damn · loser · thought · crumbling · smitch · fleck · crumblet · puny · tinge · underperson · crumbling · hint · flake · quidam · touch · whiff · shitheap · pelf · sliver · lidderon · morceau · smidgy · molecule · smidge · dab · slice · smidget · rinky-dink · tittle · crumb · clip · smithereen · strain · mote · crumb · toerag · pissant · nonentity · shrimp · pleb · tad · grain · nobody · gooey · sprinkling · ace · modicum · whit · hooter · scintilla · scruple · spot · waste of space · pennyworth · good-for-nothing · truant · scrap · shred · absolute zero · fuckbucket · drop · nobody · prole · puny · pile of shit · scooch · no one · steck · minnow · zero · assbucket · zero · good-for-naught · wankstain · dandiprat · bit · soupçon · pinch · losel · speckle · snippet · quat · dot · geek · crumb · smidgen · shicer · glimmer · inch · lump · sprinkle · cutting · piece · tranche · bissel · nought · crumbling · drop kick · piecemeal · chip · chunk · tidbit · ne'er-do-well · slubberdegullion · punk · maggot · piece · no-mark · morsel · bit · jot · loser · pip-squeak · custron · bugger · morsel · relish · particle · nothingburger · skoosh · scullion · fleak · doink · portion · tidge · dash · wankstain · scantling · also-ran · nonce · louse · badling · chip · scraplet · sparrow-fart · scrap · trifle · no-good · twerp · glimpse · fritlag · trace · skerrick · blatherskite · continental · chopped liver · nothing · smattering · diddly · flyspeck · iota · flip · mammock · dusting · skosh · toddick · vestige · douchebag · scent · Joe Nobody · nonentity · carrion · roly-poly · fragment · little guy · picayune · spatter · halfpennyworth
Translations (161)
fa خرده (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ga bruscar (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gd sprùilleach (soft internal portion of bread) · arz حتّة ((figurative) small amount) · es miga (soft internal portion of bread) · es miaja ((figurative) small amount) · sv smula ((figurative) small amount) · yi ברעקל (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · rif awezwiz (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · pt migalha ((figurative) small amount) · tr ekmek içi (soft internal portion of bread) · wbk pićã (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · mi kongakonga ((figurative) small amount) · es mollero (soft internal portion of bread) · la mīca (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ko 부스러기 (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · es molla (soft internal portion of bread) · fi sisus (soft internal portion of bread) · es miaja (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sh мрвица (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · cy mwydion (soft internal portion of bread) · ja 欠片 ((figurative) small amount) · pl okruch (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sl drobtina (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · arz فتفوتة ((figurative) small amount) · he פֵּרוּר (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ru крупи́ца ((figurative) small amount) · ca engruna (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · hu morzsa (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sco crum ((figurative) small amount) · tg реза (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · de Krümel (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gd criomag (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ru кро́шка ((figurative) small amount) · it briciola (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · dng зазазы (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · bg троха́ ((figurative) small amount) · es migaja (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ru мя́киш (soft internal portion of bread) · nl kruim (soft internal portion of bread) · cmn 少許 /少许 ((figurative) small amount) · ja 屑 (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · it mollica (soft internal portion of bread) · nl kruimel (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gd sprùilleach (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · cs drobek ((figurative) small amount) · fr miette (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · cmn 渣兒 /渣儿 (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · cs střídka (soft internal portion of bread) · ca mica (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · la frustum (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · dng зазар (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ga croí (soft internal portion of bread) · ig ághíríghá (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · az qırıntı (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · el ψίχουλα ((figurative) small amount) · scn muḍḍica (soft internal portion of bread) · de Brösel (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sco pran (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · vi mảnh vụn (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · cmn 屑 (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gl migalla (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ga grabhróg (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · arz فتفوتة (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · pt miolo (de pão) (soft internal portion of bread) · nl kruimel ((figurative) small amount) · ary بطعة (soft internal portion of bread) · sk drobček (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · es molledo (soft internal portion of bread) · ro fărâmă (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · bg среда (soft internal portion of bread) · el τρίμμα (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · arz قلب (soft internal portion of bread) · hu kenyérbél (soft internal portion of bread) · da krumme (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · bg троха́ (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ro miez (soft internal portion of bread) · ca mica ((figurative) small amount) · ang cruma (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · vi miếng (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · uz uvoq (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · hy փշրանք (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gld пурумсэ (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · fi murunen (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · arz حتّة (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ar كِسْرَة (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ja かす (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · es migaja ((figurative) small amount) · de Brösel ((figurative) small amount) · kk қоқым (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · izh muru (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ro sfărâmătură (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · km សាច់ (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gl miga (soft internal portion of bread) · hu morzsányi ((figurative) small amount) · ky күкүм (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · cy bywyn (soft internal portion of bread) · pl miękisz (soft internal portion of bread) · es cacho ((figurative) small amount) · sco crum (soft internal portion of bread) · cy briwsionyn (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gl frangulla (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · it impasto (mixture to make industrial chocolate) · cs drobek (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ro fărâmătură (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · es miga (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ru кро́шка (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · vec mołéna (soft internal portion of bread) · gd criomag ((figurative) small amount) · ga blúire ((figurative) small amount) · id remahan (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sv smula (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ar فُتَات (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · de Schmolle (soft internal portion of bread) · kw brewyonen (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · el ψίχουλο (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gl frangulla ((figurative) small amount) · th เศษ (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · pt migalha (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · de Brosame (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · be кро́шка (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · de Krume (soft internal portion of bread) · sh mrvica (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · es miga ((figurative) small amount) · ary لبابة (soft internal portion of bread) · kk қиқым (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · it briciola ((figurative) small amount) · tt эпэй йомшагы (soft internal portion of bread) · el ψίχα (soft internal portion of bread) · gl migalla ((figurative) small amount) · ady купсэ (soft internal portion of bread) · fi murunen ((figurative) small amount) · pdt Kjreemel (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ar لُبّ (soft internal portion of bread) · ca molla ((figurative) small amount) · lt trupinys (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · uk кри́хта (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gl rafa (soft internal portion of bread) · de Krümel ((figurative) small amount) · ru кро́ха ((figurative) small amount) · cmn 渣 (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · mk тро́шка ((figurative) small amount) · vi mẫu (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ka ნამცეცი (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · tr kırıntı (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sco crum (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · lo ເສດ (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · hy փշուր (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · mk тро́шка (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · grc ψιχίον (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · sv inkråm (soft internal portion of bread) · ca molla (soft internal portion of bread) · cs střída (soft internal portion of bread) · es migaja (soft internal portion of bread) · lb Grimmel (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · fr mie (soft internal portion of bread) · izh muro (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · ca resquitx (soft internal portion of bread) · kw brewyon (small piece of biscuit, cake, etc) · gl miolo (soft internal portion of bread) · nl morzel ((figurative) small amount)