cracker

[ krak-er ]

See synonyms for: cracker crackers on Thesaurus.com

noun

a thin, crisp biscuit.
a firecracker.

Also called crack·er bon·bon . a small paper roll used as a party favor, that usually contains candy, trinkets, etc., and that pops when pulled sharply at one or both ends.
(initial capital letter)Slang: Sometimes Disparaging and Offensive. a native or inhabitant of Georgia or Florida (used as a nickname).
Slang: Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a white person in the South, especially a poor white living in some rural parts of the southeastern U.S.
Slang. black hat (def. 2).
snapper (def. 5).
braggart; boaster.
a person or thing that cracks.
a chemical reactor used for cracking. : Compare catalytic cracking, fractionator.

adjective

crack·ers, Informal. wild; crazy: They went crackers over the new styles.

Origin of cracker

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English craker; see crack, -er¹; defs. 4, 5 were perhaps originally in sense “braggart,” applied to frontiersmen of the southern American colonies in the 1760s, though subsequently given other interpretations (cf. corn-cracker); for def. 11 crackers “crazy,” cf. cracked, -ers

usage note For cracker

The term cracker is used as a neutral nickname by inhabitants of Georgia and Florida; it is a positive term of self-reference. But when the nickname is used by outsiders, it is usually with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting by Georgians and Floridians. Cracker is always disparaging and offensive when used to refer to a poor white person in the South; the word in this sense often implies that the person is regarded as ignorant or uneducated. When used by Black people, cracker can refer to a Southern white racist, not necessarily poor or rural. See also Cracker State.

Words Nearby cracker

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cracker in a sentence

This flavorful dip is used for a vegan pizza or flatbreads, but it’ll be delicious for your favorite crudité or crackers, too.
Our best Super Bowl recipes deliver big flavor for a smaller watch party | Kari Sonde | February 1, 2021 | Washington Post
I love the ease of both and will happily eat them again and again scooped onto lettuce leaves, in sandwiches or on crackers for a quick meal on a busy day.
Calling all dill lovers: This old-school ham salad sandwich is for you | Ann Maloney | January 26, 2021 | Washington Post
Inside, an included bin separates drinks and ice from happy-hour goodies, like cheese and crackers.
This Gear Makes Parking-Lot Après Fun | Ryan Stuart | January 26, 2021 | Outside Online
Threatening the city with loss of these franchise fees is like waving a cracker to distract us from the buffet.
San Diego Has More Leverage in Franchise Fee Deal Than It’s Letting on | Craig D. Rose | January 6, 2021 | Voice of San Diego
They’ll stick with tuna fish and crackers, among the few items she can afford at the supermarket.
‘We are struggling’: Unemployed Americans face a bleak Christmas | Lee Clifford | December 24, 2020 | Fortune

David Lowery of Camper von Beethoven and cracker made this case in a viral post from 2012.
Death of the Author by Viral Infection: In Defense of Taylor Swift, Digital Doomsayer | Arthur Chu | December 3, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Producers often tend to equate harder-hitting crime stories with a city setting – from cracker and Prime Suspect to Luther.
British Crime Dramas Explore the Dark Side of Small Town Life | Soraya Roberts | September 13, 2013 | THE DAILY BEAST
Terry was headed to a cracker Barrel to “think” when a car cut her off.
How Difficult Russian Adoptions Were, Even Before Vladimir Putin’s Crackdown | Lauren Ashburn | December 31, 2012 | THE DAILY BEAST
Chocolate melts, cotton candy disintegrates, graham-cracker walls separate, and gingerbread roofs eventually cave in.
Inside Will Cotton's Candy World | Isabel Wilkinson | November 2, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
In another short, the actress had to act like she was eating a doll head with a safety pin through it on a cracker.
The Year's Most Explosive Film | Marlow Stern | August 5, 2011 | THE DAILY BEAST
And he himself brought her the golden-brown bouillon, in a dainty Sevres cup, with a flaky cracker or two on the saucer.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin
She vacantly hummed a fantastic tune as she poked at the wood embers on the hearth and munched a cracker.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin
There came a "pop" like an exploding fire-cracker, and a bullet whistled past Matt's ear.
Motor Matt's "Century" Run | Stanley R. Matthews
And his name was "cracker," because his birthday fell on the Fourth of July, when firecrackers were popping.
The Box-Car Children | Gertrude Chandler Warner
The move, although skilfully planned, was baffled by the quick wit of Robin the Crumb-cracker, the blacksmith's apprentice.
The Pilgrim's Shell or Fergan the Quarryman | Eugne Sue

British Dictionary definitions for cracker

cracker

/ (ˈkrækə) /

noun

a decorated cardboard tube that emits a bang when pulled apart, releasing a toy, a joke, or a paper hat
short for firecracker

a thin crisp biscuit, usually unsweetened
a person or thing that cracks
US another word for poor White offensive
British slang a thing or person of notable qualities or abilities
not worth a cracker Australian and NZ informal worthless; useless

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

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