crater

noun (1)
cra·​ter | \ ˈkrā-tər How to pronounce crater (audio) \
plural craters

Definition of crater

 (Entry 1 of 3)

1a : the bowl-shaped depression around the orifice of a volcano
b : a depression formed by an impact (as of a meteorite)
c : a hole in the ground made by the explosion of a bomb or shell
2 : an eroded lesion
3 : a dimple in a painted surface
4 Crater, astronomy : a constellation that is visible between the constellations of Corvus and Hydra and that is represented by the figure of a cup Both the cup and the snake are here in the sky. If you have dark enough skies, you can spot the faint stars of Crater the cup and Hydra the snake to the right of Corvus.— Kevin D. Conod

crater

verb
cratered; cratering; craters

Definition of crater (Entry 2 of 3)

intransitive verb

1 : to exhibit or form craters
2 : to fail or fall suddenly and dramatically : collapse, crash the deal cratered cratering stock prices

transitive verb

: to form craters in

crater

noun (2)
cra·​ter

less common spelling of

: a jar or vase of classical antiquity having a large round body and a wide mouth and used for mixing wine and water

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Other Words from crater

Noun (1)

craterlike \ ˈkrā-​tər-​ˌlīk How to pronounce craterlike (audio) \ adjective

Examples of crater in a Sentence

Verb

The deal cratered when neither party could agree on the final price. Stock prices cratered after the companies' merger.

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Mount Sharp's peak is taller than the rim of the crater. Ashley Strickland, CNN, "Curiosity rover makes new discoveries on Mars," 6 Aug. 2019 Images show local villagers gathered around the muddy crater. Adrianna Rodriguez, USA TODAY, "Rice farmers shocked after possible meteorite crash lands in Indian village," 26 July 2019 A century ago the mass of ice on the crater of an extinct volcano on the western edge of the island nation covered about 5.8 square miles and was about 165 feet thick. Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Plaque Memorializes First Icelandic Glacier Lost to Climate Change," 24 July 2019 And the craters were carved not by meteors, but by fertilizer and dynamite. Los Angeles Times, "How NASA’s Apollo program turned military test pilots into lunar geologists," 19 July 2019 Where existing maps had shown a smooth region, car-sized boulders cluttered a field of craters. Eva Botkin-kowacki, The Christian Science Monitor, "Apollo 11 at 50: How the moon landing changed the world," 16 July 2019 Across the road, Volcano House (1846) is one of the oldest lodges in the entire National Park System; the back terrace is a great place to get your first glimpse of the crater. National Geographic, "Everything to know about Hawaii Volcanoes National Park," 15 July 2019 Sometimes, in the early morning hours, the crater emulates its origins when the summer sun coaxes a smoke-like mist from the dewy swale. Mare Czinar, azcentral, "This peaceful Flagstaff hike belies its explosive origins," 27 June 2019 By Alex Horton | Washington Post From the air, the massive crater resembles a pink virus floating against a pool of green. The Washington Post, The Mercury News, "Massive blast leaves crater in German barley field," 25 June 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

As the months have passed, one by one, Dershowitz’s broadsides against Boies and his allies have cratered. Tom Jackman, Washington Post, "It’s Alan Dershowitz vs. David Boies, again and again," 13 Aug. 2019 Meanwhile, the chinook runs to the Fraser River the whales are usually hunting in their ancient foraging grounds have cratered. Anchorage Daily News, "Where are the salmon and the orcas? Tribe, scientists grapple with unprecedented disappearance in Washington waters," 6 Aug. 2019 A year ago, trade speculation was swirling around Jonathan Schoop as the Orioles had cratered to the bottom of their division. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, "Eyes and ears open, first-place Twins charge toward Wednesday trade deadline," 29 July 2019 Under Ward, contributions to the state party during the first quarter cratered to their lowest level in at least 18 years, according to a previous Republic analysis of campaign finance records. Yvonne Wingett Sanchez, azcentral, "Provocative conservative artist donates Trump artwork for Arizona GOP fundraiser," 16 July 2019 Once considered one of baseball's most promising prospects, Reed has cratered in the last three seasons while being repeatedly passed on the Astros' organizational hierarchy. Chandler Rome, Houston Chronicle, "Astros designate A.J. Reed for assignment to make room for Jose Urquidy," 2 July 2019 Similar to 2007, US market confidence cratered late last year due to recession fears. Matt Egan, CNN, "Swings in market sentiment resemble pre-Lehman crisis, strategist warns," 6 June 2019 During 2001, the year of the dot-com bust, when internet startups and numerous other tech companies cratered, tech industry job totals in the Bay Area shrank by 14.9 percent while overall, all jobs in the Bay Area declined 6.1 percent. George Avalos, The Mercury News, "Tech jobs soar to all-time record in Bay Area," 5 July 2019 That club cratered in May. The Cardinals went 9-18 and lost control of the division. Andy Mccullough, latimes.com, "Paul Goldschmidt’s struggles mirror those of the Cardinals," 22 June 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crater.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of crater

Noun (1)

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

History and Etymology for crater

Noun (1)

Latin, mixing bowl, crater, from Greek kratēr, from kerannynai to mix; akin to Sanskrit śrīṇāti he mixes

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More Definitions for crater

crater

verb

English Language Learners Definition of crater

US, informal : to fail or fall suddenly