crumb

[kruhm]

noun

1. a small particle of bread, cake, etc., that has broken off.

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

   Synonyms: speck, sliver, morsel, shred, scrap

3. the soft inner portion of a bread (crust ).

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

5. 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.

3. to remove crumbs from.

   The waiter crumbed the table.

crumb

/ krʌm /

noun

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

2. a small piece or bit

   crumbs of information

3. the soft inner part of bread

4. 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

Other Word Forms

• crumbable adjective
• crumber noun
• decrumb verb (used with object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of crumb¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of crumb¹

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

Example Sentences

The Hedgehog clears crumbs from the recesses of a toaster oven, the back of a pantry or that limbo area under the fridge.

Read more on Wall Street Journal

With butter, eggs and a full cup of unsweetened applesauce, the crumb is soft, tender and irresistible.

Read more on Salon

"Starvation was the worst thing… you eat the crumbs on the carpet," he says.

Read more on BBC

Britain was "clinging on to the coattails of Uncle Sam" with "crumbs from the Silicon Valley table".

Read more on BBC

It’s then individually stuffed with fresh ricotta infused with fresh lemon zest and mixed with butter, bread crumbs and salt.

Read more on Salon