crater

[ krey-ter ]

/ ˈkreɪ tər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for crater on Thesaurus.com

noun

Geology, Astronomy.

Also called impact crater, meteorite crater . a large bowl-shaped depression on the surface of the earth or other heavenly body, formed by the impact of a meteorite.Compare astrobleme.
a similar depression or cavity that forms the opening of a volcano or geyser. The volcanic activity that creates such craters occurs on the surface of the earth as well as a number of other heavenly bodies.

the hole or pit in the ground where a bomb, shell, or military mine has exploded.

Electricity. the cavity formed in a positive carbon electrode by an electric arc.

Greek and Roman Antiquity. krater.

Metalworking. a depression at the end of a bead produced by welding.

genitive Cra·te·ris

[krey-teer-is]. /kreɪˈtɪər ɪs/. (initial capital letter)Astronomy. the Cup, a small southern constellation west of Corvus and north of Hydra.

verb (used with object)

to make craters in: Bombs had cratered the landscape.

Slang.

to cancel, abandon, or cast aside: to crater the new project.
to destroy or ruin: One more disappointment won't crater me.
to collapse, plunge, or fail suddenly; crash: The company’s stock has cratered 35% this year.

verb (used without object)

to form a crater or craters: The surface of the concrete cratered and cracked under the repeated impacts.

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of crater

First recorded in 1605–15; from Latin crātēr, from Greek krātḗr “mixing bowl,” literally, “mixer”, equivalent to krā- (base of kerannýnai “to mix”) + -tēr agent suffix; cf. crasis

OTHER WORDS FROM crater

cra·ter·al, cra·ter·ous, adjectivecra·ter·like, adjectivein·ter·cra·ter, adjective

Words nearby crater

crassulaceous, Crassus, -crat, cratch, crate, crater, crater lake, Crater Lake National Park, craterlet, Crater Mound, Craters of the Moon

Other definitions for crater (2 of 2)

Crater

[ krey-ter ]

/ ˈkreɪ tər /

noun

Joseph Force

[fawrs, fohrs], /fɔrs, foʊrs/, 1889–?, a judge of the New York State Supreme Court: his mysterious disappearance on August 6, 1930, has never been solved.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use crater in a sentence

However, in March 2020, when Toutiao launched an independent search engine to rival Baidu, it failed to meet expectations and didn’t make much of a crater in Baidu’s landscape.
Are search engines dead in China?|Ada Luo|September 14, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Every part of it receives sunlight, except for those tiny pockets of shadowed craters near the poles.
These Images Expose the Dark Side of the Solar System - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Corey S. Powell|August 26, 2020|Nautilus
The Jezero crater also contains two large deltas, where we expect to find sediments that were once transported and deposited by rivers that existed long ago.
Meteorites From Mars Contain Clues About the Red Planet’s Geology|Arya Udry|June 17, 2020|Singularity Hub
Igneous rocks, created by volcanic activity, are likely to be present, so it will be really interesting to study the history of the crater, which formed around 4 billion years ago.
Meteorites From Mars Contain Clues About the Red Planet’s Geology|Arya Udry|June 17, 2020|Singularity Hub

During that, Perseverance will seek signs of ancient life in the crater.
A seventh grader named NASA’s newest Mars rover|Lisa Grossman|March 30, 2020|Science News For Students
He scrambled outside to find a 25-foot-wide crater just beyond the mud wall surrounding his family compound.
The Dangerous Drug-Funded Secret War Between Iran and Pakistan|Umar Farooq|December 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
In this crater, frail silhouettes, women for the most part, bend to dig with their bare hands in the rubble.
The Fashion Victims of Bangladesh|Bernard-Henri Lévy|May 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Interest rates will soar, home values will plummet, stock markets will crash, and global economies will crater.
Crying Wolf on Capitol Hill|Joe McLean|October 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Their hydrogen sulfide plant blew a crater in the ground a year ago.
13 Revelations From Reddit’s ‘Dirty Little Secret’ Thread Exposing Alleged Industry Secrets|Nina Strochlic|August 23, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Jean Trinh talks to the artist and curators about light perception and his Roden Crater project.
James Turrell: Looking Back at 50 Years of Illuminating Light as Art|Jean Trinh|May 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The original seat of the Latin state was on the shores of one of these crater pools, south of the Eternal City.
Outlines of the Earth's History|Nathaniel Southgate Shaler
The remaining Unionists were driven at the point of bayonets out of the crater back to their own lines.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
On July 30, 1864 the mine was exploded, and the shape of the area after the explosion resembled a huge crater of a volcano.
Hallowed Heritage: The Life of Virginia|Dorothy M. Torpey
Can Mr. Bede produce anything to match the following sample of the crater, to be found in our most polished English poet?
Notes and Queries, Number 178, March 26, 1853|Various
Although there is no vegetation on the island, the base of the crater gives the appearance of a well-watered meadow in spring.
Yachting Vol. 2|Various.

British Dictionary definitions for crater (1 of 2)

crater

/ (ˈkreɪtə) /

noun

the bowl-shaped opening at the top or side of a volcano or top of a geyser through which lava and gases are emitted

a similarly shaped depression formed by the impact of a meteorite or exploding bomb

any of the circular or polygonal walled formations covering the surface of the moon and some other planets, formed probably either by volcanic action or by the impact of meteorites. They can have a diameter of up to 240 kilometres (150 miles) and a depth of 8900 metres (29 000 feet)

a pit in an otherwise smooth surface

a large open bowl with two handles, used for mixing wines, esp in ancient Greece

verb

to make or form craters in (a surface, such as the ground)

slang to fail; collapse; crash

Derived forms of crater

cratered, adjectivecraterless, adjectivecrater-like, adjective

Word Origin for crater

C17: from Latin: mixing bowl, crater, from Greek kratēr, from kerannunai to mix

British Dictionary definitions for crater (2 of 2)

Crater

/ (ˈkreɪtə) /

noun Latin genitive Crateris (ˈkreɪtərɪs)

a small faint constellation in the S hemisphere lying between Virgo and Hydra

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

Scientific definitions for crater

crater

[ krā′tər ]

A bowl-shaped depression at the top of a volcano or at the mouth of a geyser. Volcanic craters can form because of magma explosions in which a large amount of lava is thrown out from a volcano, leaving a hole, or because the roof of rock over an underground magma pool collapses after the magma has flowed away.

A shallow, bowl-shaped depression in a surface, formed by an explosion or by the impact of a body, such as a meteorite.

crater

Origin of crater

OTHER WORDS FROM crater

Words nearby crater

Other definitions for crater (2 of 2)

Words related to crater

How to use crater in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for crater (1 of 2)

Derived forms of crater

Word Origin for crater

British Dictionary definitions for crater (2 of 2)

Scientific definitions for crater