crisp

[krisp]

adjective

crisper, crispest 

1. (especially of food) hard but easily breakable; brittle.

   crisp toast.

2. (especially of food) firm and fresh; not soft or wilted.

   a crisp leaf of lettuce.

3. brisk; sharp; clear; decided.

   a crisp reply.

4. lively; pithy; sparkling.

   crisp repartee.

5. clean-cut, neat, and well-pressed; well-groomed.

6. invigorating; bracing.

   crisp air.

   Synonyms: nippy, fresh, brisk

7. crinkled, wrinkled, or rippled, as skin or water.

8. in small, stiff, or firm curls; curly.

verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become crisp.

2. to curl.

noun

1. Chiefly British.,  potato chip.

2. Cooking.,  a dessert of fruit, as apples or apricots, baked with a crunchy mixture, usually of breadcrumbs, chopped nutmeats, butter, and brown sugar.

crisp

/ krɪsp /

adjective

1. dry and brittle

2. fresh and firm

   crisp lettuce

3. invigorating or bracing

   a crisp breeze

4. clear; sharp

   crisp reasoning

5. lively or stimulating

   crisp conversation

6. clean and orderly; neat

   a crisp appearance

7. concise and pithy; terse

   a crisp reply

8. wrinkled or curly

   crisp hair

verb

1. to make or become crisp

noun

1. a very thin slice of potato fried and eaten cold as a snack

2. something that is crisp

Other Word Forms

• crispness noun
• crisply adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of crisp¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, from Latin crispus “curled”

Word History and Origins

Origin of crisp¹

Old English, from Latin crispus curled, uneven, wrinkled

Idioms and Phrases

see burn to a cinder (crisp).

Example Sentences

After an eye-catching ringwalk complete with a choreographed routine alongside a dance troupe, Hennessy, 21, displayed sharp footwork, crisp shot selection and fluid combination punching.

Read more on BBC

Leftover pizza gets cut up, crisped on the stove and mixed into scrambled eggs—a remnant from Duggal’s college days that she has christened “pizza eggs.”

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Tear them into rustic chunks and toast lightly in butter until the edges crisp and scent curls through the kitchen.

Read more on Salon

“Because it sits flat on the tray, the bird cooks evenly, and the skin easily crisps to a golden brown,” TJ’s explains.

Read more on Salon

They vary widely in shape and age: some are crisp, some eroded, some overlapping, and others partly buried.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• crispy 
• crumbly 
• crusty 
• fresh 
• plump