cracknel

American  

[krak-nl] / ˈkræk nl /

noun

1. a hard, brittle cake or biscuit.

2. cracknels, small bits of fat pork fried crisp.

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cracknel British  

/ ˈkræknəl /

noun

1. a type of hard plain biscuit

2. (often plural) crisply fried bits of fat pork

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Etymology

Origin of cracknel

1350–1400; Middle English crak ( e ) nele < Middle French *craquenelle, metathetic alteration of craquelin < Middle Dutch crākelinc, equivalent to crāke ( n ) to crack + -linc -ling ¹

Example Sentences

In the second act Louis, one of the princely lackeys, brings a large cracknel and huge paper-cornet of sweets for Cornelia, whom he courts and whose favor he hopes in this way to win.

From The Standard Operaglass Detailed Plots of One Hundred and Fifty-one Celebrated Operas by Annesley, Charles, pseud.

Then the Kurilovka peasants presented Masha with an ikon, and the Dubechnia peasants gave her a large cracknel and a gilt salt-cellar.

From The House with the Mezzanine and Other Stories by Cannan, Gilbert

At last, in despair, I rose from my hard couch, donned my uniform, and snatching up a cracknel, strode out of my tent.

From Bill the Minder by Robinson, W. Heath (William Heath)

Dymov hurriedly drank a glass of tea, took a cracknel, and, smiling gently, went to the station.

From The Wife, and other stories by Garnett, Constance

“Good, plenty ’ticky,” cried the savage, gumming his face gloriously and grinding up the biscuit as easily as if it were a cracknel.

From King o' the Beach A Tropic Tale by Greene, J. B.