breadcrumb

American  

[bred-kruhm] / ˈbrɛdˌkrʌm /

noun

1. a crumb of bread, either dried or soft.

2. Also called breadcrumb trail.  Digital Technology. Usually breadcrumbs. a sequence of text links on the current page of a website or web-based application, usually at the top, showing the page's location within a hierarchy of content or browsing history and providing a convenient navigational tool.

   Online shoppers can use breadcrumbs to see other products in the same category.

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breadcrumb British  

/ ˈbrɛdˌkrʌm /

noun

1. the soft inner part of bread

2. (plural) bread crumbled into small fragments, as for use in cooking

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verb

1. to coat (food) with breadcrumbs

   egg and breadcrumb the escalopes

Etymology

Origin of breadcrumb

First recorded in 1760–70; bread + crumb

Example Sentences

Millions of onlookers are attached to their screens, united in their desperation for any new breadcrumb in the case.

From The Wall Street Journal

“It’s almost as if she left pieces of information in different places so you could follow the breadcrumbs.”

From Literature

The sourdough heel I found lingering in the fridge wasn’t good for much, but it was perfect blitzed into spiced breadcrumbs to scatter over bolognese.

From Salon

It would love a scattering of crisp breadcrumbs.

From Salon

Cellphone-network data from secret calls offered a trail of breadcrumbs for investigators.

From The Wall Street Journal