crumb
/krʌm/ (bre, ipa) · [krˈʌm] /krʌm/ (ame, ipa) · [krˈʌm] /ˈkrəm/ (ame, mw)
crumb — noun
- crumbsingular
- crumbsplural
1. one tiny bit that drops from bread, cake, or other baked food
one tiny bit that drops from bread, cake, or other baked food
Tanvi brushed the cake crumbs from her skirt before the meeting started.
brush crumbs from + surface
A few bread crumbs fell onto the table as Christopher tore the roll.
bread crumbs
The pigeon pecked at biscuit crumbs near the park bench.
Hui found cookie crumbs between the sofa cushions after movie night.
用法筆記
Usually plural when talking about the small pieces left on a plate, table, or clothes. The singular form is more common when you mean one tiny piece.
常見錯誤
2. just a tiny bit of something, sometimes almost none at all
just a tiny bit of something, sometimes almost none at all
Rodrigo showed not a crumb of pity when the boys begged.
not a crumb of + noun
By noon, Esme had used every crumb of butter in the fridge.
every crumb of + noun
The police found a crumb of evidence under the broken lock.
There was only a crumb of hope after the second storm warning.
文法句型
not a crumb of + noun
every crumb of + noun
用法筆記
Often used to stress that almost nothing remains, especially in patterns like not a crumb of pity or every crumb of food.
常見錯誤
3. a very unpleasant person you strongly dislike or despise
a very unpleasant person you strongly dislike or despise
Everyone knew the landlord was a crumb after he kept the deposit.
be a crumb
Tanvi called the online scammer a crumb and blocked the account.
call somebody a crumb
Only a real crumb would laugh at a child who fell.
The film's main crumb cheats his friends for bus money.
- decent person
someone who behaves fairly and kindly
文法句型
be a crumb
call somebody a crumb
用法筆記
Informal and strongly insulting. It is used for someone seen as selfish, cruel, or dishonest, not for a simple mistake.
crumb — verb
- crumbpresent simple I / you / we / they
- crumbs3rd person singular
- crumbing-ing form
- crumbedpast simple
1. to make bread, cake, or similar food turn into many tiny dry bits
to make bread, cake, or similar food turn into many tiny dry bits
The stale biscuit crumbed in Sari's hand when she tried to dip it.
intransitive: food crumbed in [someone's] hand
Tamar crumbed the dry bread over the soup for the ducks.
transitive: crumb + food
The pie crust crumbed apart as Rodrigo lifted it from the pan.
Eshe crumbed yesterday's cake into a bowl for the pudding.
文法句型
crumb + food
food crumbed apart
用法筆記
Often used for dry baked food that breaks very easily. It can be transitive when someone breaks the food into tiny bits, or intransitive when the food falls apart by itself.
2. to cover food with bread crumbs so the surface becomes crisp when cooked
to cover food with bread crumbs so the surface becomes crisp when cooked
The cook crumbed the fish before sliding it into the hot pan.
crumb + food before cooking
Hui crumbed the mushrooms with dry bread crumbs for a quick lunch.
The recipe asks you to crumb the chicken after the egg wash.
Christopher crumbed the tomato slices before baking them for dinner.
文法句型
crumb + food
crumb + food + before frying or baking
用法筆記
Used mainly in cooking. The object is usually meat, fish, or vegetables that are being prepared for frying or baking.
常見錯誤
3. to clear small food bits from a surface such as a table or cloth
to clear small food bits from a surface such as a table or cloth
After dessert, the waiter crumbed the table before serving coffee.
crumb the table between courses
Shirin crumbed the sofa cushions with a small brush after the children left.
The restaurant manager asked Rodrigo to crumb each tablecloth after lunch.
Tanvi crumbed the car seat before driving her parents home.
文法句型
crumb + table / seat / cloth
用法筆記
Often used in restaurant service for brushing crumbs off a table or tablecloth between courses, though it can also be used for other surfaces at home.