crackle

[ krak-uh l ]

/ ˈkræk əl /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crackle ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object), crack·led, crack·ling.

to make slight, sudden, sharp noises, rapidly repeated.

to form a network of fine cracks on the surface.

(of ceramic glaze) to craze.

to exhibit liveliness, vibrancy, anticipation, etc.: The play crackled with wit.

verb (used with object), crack·led, crack·ling.

to cause to crackle.

to break with a crackling noise.

to craze (ceramic glaze).

noun

the act of crackling.

a crackling noise.

a network of fine cracks, as in the glaze of some kinds of porcelain.

crackleware.

Nearby words

crackhead, crackhouse, crackie, cracking, crackjaw, crackle, crackleware, crackling, crackly, cracknel, crackpot

Origin of crackle

First recorded in 1490–1500; crack + -le

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crackle

Instead we heard the crackle of automatic gunfire and we could see gray smoke rising from the eastern side of the town.
In the Battle for Kobani, ISIS Falls Back. But for How Long?|Jamie Dettmer|October 20, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In terms of charisma, the guy has all the snap, crackle, and pop of pudding.
The Governors Who Could Beat Christie|Michelle Cottle|November 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Then one hears the crackle of gunfire in the air, the Somali soldiers begin yelling at Carstens about his camera.
In ‘The Project,’ the Stormy Battle to Take On Somali Pirates|Eli Lake|April 22, 2013|DAILY BEAST
That said, the veep lacked a certain snap, crackle, and pop.
Joe Biden’s Happy Warrior Speech|Michelle Cottle|September 7, 2012|DAILY BEAST

And on YouTube, Crackle and Facebook the first episode has garnered more than 90,000 page views.
Jerry Seinfeld’s ‘Comedians in Cars’ Web Series Ruffles U.K. Feathers With Similarity to British ‘Carpool’|Soraya Roberts|August 2, 2012|DAILY BEAST
It was some time before she folded the letter with a crackle and looked up.
Moor Fires|E. H. (Emily Hilda) Young
They heard a loud noise without, a shout rising above the crackle and roar of the flames.
The Knights of the White Shield|Edward A. Rand
The crackle and roar sounded like the oceanor the way Joan imagined the ocean would sound.
Joan of the Journal|Helen Diehl Olds
The crackle and roar of the fire seemed to be going on in my skull.
The Blue Wall|Richard Washburn Child
Breaking through the bushes, and causing the branches to bend and crackle, came a large animal.
The Young Yagers|Mayne Reid

British Dictionary definitions for crackle

crackle

/ (ˈkrækəl) /

verb

to make or cause to make a series of slight sharp noises, as of paper being crushed or of a wood fire burning

(tr) to decorate (porcelain or pottery) by causing a fine network of cracks to appear in the glaze

(intr) to abound in vivacity or energy

noun

the act or sound of crackling

intentional crazing in the glaze of a piece of porcelain or pottery

Also called: crackleware porcelain or pottery so decorated

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

Word Origin and History for crackle

crackle

mid-15c., crackelen, frequentative of cracken "to crack" (see crack (v.)). Related: Crackled; crackling. The noun is recorded from 1833.

crackle

verb (used without object), crack·led, crack·ling.

verb (used with object), crack·led, crack·ling.

noun

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of crackle

Examples from the Web for crackle

British Dictionary definitions for crackle

crackle

verb

noun

Word Origin and History for crackle

crackle