The AI-powered English dictionary
countable and uncountable, plural crumbs
A small piece which breaks off from baked food (such as cake, biscuit or bread). quotations examples
desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table
1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], Luke 16:21
At twilight in the summer there is never anybody to fear—man, woman, or cat—in the chambers and at that hour the mice come out. They do not eat parchment or foolscap or red tape, but they eat the luncheon crumbs.
1892, Walter Besant, chapter II, in The Ivory Gate […], New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […]
A small piece of any other solid substance. quotations examples
Then erase any pencil lines with a good, soft eraser, rubbing gently, in only one direction. A dustbrush can be useful in removing any eraser crumbs.
2012, Caroline Joy Adams, An Italic Calligraphy Handbook, page 79
(figuratively) A bit, small amount. examples
Short for crumb rubber. quotations examples
Production of rubber granules, or crumb, is well-established in this country.
2007, R. E. Hester, R. M. Harrison, Waste Treatment and Disposal (page 109)
The soft internal portion of bread, surrounded by crust. quotations examples
Dust unto dust, what must be, must; / If you can't get crumb, you'd best eat crust.
1861, Thomas Hughes, Tom Brown at Oxford
A mixture of sugar, cocoa and milk, used to make industrial chocolate. examples
(slang) A nobody; a worthless person. quotations
All Dad can think of is a gift certificate from the Melody Inn? And my crumb of a boyfriend doesn't even show up? This is a birthday?
1999, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Alice on the Outside, page 146
(slang) A body louse (Pediculus humanus).
third-person singular simple present crumbs, present participle crumbing, simple past and past participle crumbed
(transitive) To cover with crumbs. examples
(transitive) To break into crumbs or small pieces with the fingers; to crumble. examples