: any of a family (Gryllidae) of leaping orthopteran insects noted for the chirping notes produced by the male by rubbing together specially modified parts of the forewings
2
crickets: a conspicuous lack of response : silence
At one point I asked him a question and took a long sip of my drink to allow him a moment to pose the question back to me. It was crickets … Silence.—The Star
And yet, nothing. Crickets. Silence.—Kurt Bardella
You post day in and day out hoping to see the social side of social media start to happen. Sometimes, a like or two will pop up, but most of the time, you hear crickets. It's disheartening.—Jordan Kasteler
3
: a low wooden footstool
4
: a small metal toy or signaling device that makes a sharp click or snap when pressed
This was all reported with great fanfare in India, a country dotted with cricket grounds of all sizes.—David Waldstein, New York Times, 31 May 2024 Mormon crickets are seen on a Nevada highway in a picture posted on social media in June 2023.—Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 28 May 2024 When she was asked about it on The Late Late Show With James Corden during a game of Spill Your Guts or Fill Your Guts, Kris chose to eat a cricket rather than give an answer.—Catherine Santino, Peoplemag, 25 May 2024 Lake Elkhorn Middle School sits adjacent to the property, and includes youth baseball and softball fields, and a youth cricket pitch.—Sherry Greenfield, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cricket
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cricket.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun (1)
Middle English criket, from Anglo-French, of imitative origin
Noun (2)
Middle French criquet goal stake in a bowling game
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