cricket

[ krik-it ]

See synonyms for cricket on Thesaurus.com

noun

any of several jumping, orthopterous insects of the family Gryllidae, characterized by long antennae and stridulating organs on the forewings of the male, as one of the species commonly found in pastures and meadows (field cricket ) or on trees and shrubs (tree cricket ).
a small metal toy with a flat metal spring that snaps back and forth with a clicking, cricketlike noise when pressed.

Origin of cricket

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English criket, creket, from Old French criquet, equivalent to criqu(er) “to creak” (imitative) + -et noun suffix; see -et

Other words from cricket

crick·et·like, adjective

Words Nearby cricket

Other definitions for cricket (2 of 4)

cricket²

[ krik-it ]

noun

a game, popular especially in England, for two teams of 11 members each that is played on a field having two wickets 22 yards (20 meters) apart, the object being to score runs by batting the ball far enough so that one is enabled to exchange wickets with the batsman defending the opposite wicket before the ball is recovered.
fair play; honorable conduct: It wouldn't be cricket to look at his cards.

verb (used without object)

to play cricket.

Origin of cricket

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French criquet “goalpost”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Middle Dutch krick(e) “arm, crosspiece, stick, staff, gallows”

Other words from cricket

crick·et·er, noun

Other definitions for cricket (3 of 4)

cricket³

[ krik-it ]

noun

a small, low stool.

Origin of cricket

First recorded in 1635–45; of obscure origin; compare cracket, with same sense

Other definitions for cricket (4 of 4)

cricket⁴

[ krik-it ]

noun

(on a sloping roof) a small roof for diverting rainwater around an obstruction, as a chimney.

Origin of cricket

⁴

Of uncertain origin

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

How to use cricket in a sentence

Instead, he spread the Overview Effect message, even though the response for years was crickets.
Can Astronaut Thinking Heal America at Last? | Leslie dela Vega | January 28, 2021 | Ozy
Salim Abdool Karim was at a cricket match on December 26, Boxing Day, when he made the mistake of looking at his email.
We could know soon whether vaccines work against a scary new coronavirus variant | Antonio Regalado | January 23, 2021 | MIT Technology Review
He creates melodies to the rhythms of crickets, katydids, and a whole orchestra of bugs.
The Hills Are Alive with the Sounds of Bugs | Outside Editors | January 22, 2021 | Outside Online
Some male crickets make their own megaphones by cutting wing-sized holes into the center of leaves.
Small, quiet crickets turn leaves into megaphones to blare their mating call | Jonathan Lambert | December 16, 2020 | Science News
One pound of crickets provides three times the protein, as well as more iron and nutrients, than a pound of beef.
Why We Should Eat Crickets. And Other Bug Ideas - Facts So Romantic | Mary Ellen Hannibal | October 2, 2020 | Nautilus

cricket is a sport enjoyed by hundreds of millions around the globe, mainly in former British colonies.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player | William O’Connor | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
His life, as he himself admits, is all cricket from an early age.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player | William O’Connor | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
He experienced a rapid rise, only beginning to play cricket competitively at age 11.
The Story of the World’s Greatest Cricket Player | William O’Connor | December 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Three kids play cricket among the crude gravestones in a cemetery that is the largest in the province.
Heart of Darkness: Into Afghanistan’s Taliban Valley | Matt Trevithick, Daniel Seckman | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
But the language about public schools and cricket bewildered audiences and Frank Rich gave it a stinking review.
Bring ‘Another Country’ to Broadway: Why a Hit British Classic Needs Its New York Moment | Tom Teodorczuk | June 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
A cricket-match was in progress, but the bowling and batting were extremely wild, thanks to The Warren strong beer.
The Pit Town Coronet, Volume I (of 3) | Charles James Wills
He was a manly young fellow, a sportsman and renowned at cricket, and she was amiable and pretty, a little blonde beauty.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph Tatlow
So still was the place that the caged cricket hanging from the eaves of Um's distant room beat time like an elfin metronome.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa
In one such startled interval of waking her caged cricket had given out its plaintive cry.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa
Somewhere near her feet the cricket gave out an importunate chirp.
The Dragon Painter | Mary McNeil Fenollosa

British Dictionary definitions for cricket (1 of 3)

cricket¹

/ (ˈkrɪkɪt) /

noun

any insect of the orthopterous family Gryllidae, having long antennae and, in the males, the ability to produce a chirping sound (stridulation) by rubbing together the leathery forewings
any of various related insects, such as the mole cricket

Origin of cricket

C14: from Old French criquet, from criquer to creak, of imitative origin

British Dictionary definitions for cricket (2 of 3)

cricket²

/ (ˈkrɪkɪt) /

noun

- a game played by two teams of eleven players on a field with a wicket at either end of a 22-yard pitch, the object being for one side to score runs by hitting a hard leather-covered ball with a bat while the other side tries to dismiss them by bowling, catching, running them out, etc
- (as modifier): a cricket bat
not cricket informal not fair play

verb(intr)

to play cricket

Origin of cricket

C16: from Old French criquet goalpost, wicket, of uncertain origin

Derived forms of cricket

cricketer, noun

British Dictionary definitions for cricket (3 of 3)

cricket³

/ (ˈkrɪkɪt) /

noun

a small low stool

Origin of cricket

C17: of unknown origin

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with cricket

cricket

see not cricket.

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