Wordwyrt

cracker

/ˈkɹækə/KRA-kur
UK form converted from the US by rule · unchecked
/ˈkɹækɚ/KRA-kur

Meaningone that cracks

Common meaning: a thin crisp biscuit

Other meanings: a firework

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Journey through time

  1. Proto-Indo-European*kark-‘make a loud noise, laugh’source
  2. Old Englishcracian‘to crack’source
  3. Middle Englishcrakensource
  4. Englishcrack‘to split with a snapping noise’
  5. Englishformed in English from crackcracker‘a thin crisp biscuit’ · today

Sources & notes

Meaning: “Meaning” is the sense that emerges from the word’s roots; “Common meaning” is today’s everyday sense. Both written by us.

Pronunciation

  • UK IPA: converted from the US form by rule (unchecked). Respelling: generated.
  • No UK recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-GB voice.
  • US IPA: CMUdict (BSD-2), converted to IPA by rule. Respelling: generated.
  • No US recording; the speaker uses your device’s en-US voice.

Origin: Formed in English from crack + -er.

Dictionary: Skeat (1898), CRACK, p.139 · scan

Source words

  • cracian Old English · source word “making a sharp noise”

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