cricket

1 of 3

noun (1)

crick·​et ˈkri-kət How to pronounce cricket (audio)
plural crickets
1
: 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

Illustration of cricket

Illustration of cricket
  • cricket 1

cricket

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a game played with a ball and bat by two sides of usually 11 players each on a large field centering upon two wickets each defended by a batsman
2
: fair and honorable behavior
it wasn't cricket for her to break her contractGerry Nadel

cricket

3 of 3

verb

cricketed; cricketing; crickets

intransitive verb

: to play the game of cricket
cricketer noun

Examples of cricket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Further Reading Disney is trying to salvage its Indian dreams (CNN) Disney+ is losing subscribers, thanks to India's obsession with cricket (Quartz) Explained: What does the Reliance-Disney binding agreement mean for the M&E industry? Cailey Gleeson, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 However, the generals fell out spectacularly with the former national cricket captain and engineered his ouster in an April 2022 no-confidence vote. TIME, 9 Feb. 2024 Imran Khan, 71, is an international cricket star who rose to Pakistan’s highest political office before he was ousted from power in a storm of controversy. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024 The next edition of the Summer Games, in Los Angeles in 2028, will mark the debut of cricket, flag football, lacrosse and squash. Tom Schad, USA TODAY, 22 Feb. 2024 In a small village in Jharkhand, India, 36 children were playing cricket when the skies turned gray and thunder rolled. Sushmita Pathak, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Feb. 2024 Such a revered figure due to his belligerent batting at the top of the order and calm but steely leadership, Rohit has one more chance to lift one of cricket's most prestigious trophies and cement his name in Indian cricket lore. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 16 Feb. 2024 Kissing bugs in Arizona:Everything to know about these nocturnal bloodsuckers Bugs in Arizona in April In April, expect to encounter a bustling ecosystem of creatures, including crickets, beetles and curious spiders spinning intricate webs to catch unsuspecting prey. The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024 At one point, Zac told Mill Hill classmates that New Balance wanted to sponsor him as a cricket player. Patrick Radden Keefe, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024
Verb
Khan, who captained Pakistan to cricket World Cup glory in 1992 and entered politics four years later, rose to power on a ticket of anti-corruption. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024 In addition, someone may naturally feel an urge to cricket feet as a self-soothing behavior or as a relief for Restless Legs Syndrome, however, taking up a new practice of cricketing is unlikely to help. Alyssa Hui, Health, 1 Dec. 2023 From golf to cricket to basketball, Saudi Arabia is keen to make a play all over, so as to clothe itself in the decorous, apolitical garb of international sports. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 7 June 2023 He’d been blessed with athletic ability and preternatural skill that his brothers thought might lead him to cricket, like his estranged father, who had played semi-professionally. Joshua Robinson, WSJ, 9 Mar. 2021 With the requisite funding, Olivier believed his program in Zagreb could eventually expose around 10,000 Ukrainians to cricket. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Subscribers to the Disney+ streaming business declined 1 percent in the quarter to $161.8 million, the first such decline, amid cancellations of the Hotstar service in India after Disney lost streaming rights to cricket there. Thomas Buckley, BostonGlobe.com, 9 Feb. 2023 Subscribers to the Disney+ streaming business declined 1% in the quarter to 161.8 million, the first such decline, amid cancellations of the Hotstar service in India after Disney lost streaming rights to cricket there. Thomas Buckley, Fortune, 8 Feb. 2023 Additionally, the sportsbook page offers a market for any bettor from the NFL to cricket. Chris Ilenstine, Chicago Tribune, 27 Jan. 2023

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cricket was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cricket

Cite this Entry

“Cricket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cricket. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

cricket

1 of 2 noun
crick·​et ˈkrik-ət How to pronounce cricket (audio)
: any of a family of leaping insects related to the grasshoppers and having leathery forewings used by the males to produce a chirping sound

cricket

2 of 2 noun
1
: a game played on a large field with bats, ball, and wickets by two teams of 11 players each
2
: fair play
cricketer noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English criket "cricket (insect)," from early French criquet (same meaning); probably an imitation of the insect's sound

Noun

from early French criquet "goal stake in an old bowling game"

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