crackling

noun

crack·​ling

plural cracklings

1

ˈkra-k(ə-)liŋ  : a series of small sharp cracking noises

the crackling of frozen snow as we walk

2

\ ˈkra-​klən , -​kliŋ \

a

: the crisp residue left after the rendering of lard from pig fat or the frying or roasting of pig skin

Want to know how to get perfect crisp crackling on roast pork?

—BBC Good Food (online)

… for me fat is a largely a textural pleasure, … and pork crackling is surely the supreme example of this: a blistered top, as dry and crunchy as an autumn leaf, hiding a layer of yielding, creamy fat beneath.

—Felicity Cloake

also : a piece of this residue

We feasted on … fresh hog cracklings from a road-side trailer north of Houston …

—Peter Richmond

b

: food or a piece of food that resembles crackling

duck cracklings

The great Simon Hopkinson, author of Roast Chicken and Other Stories, gave me—appropriately enough—a bag of chicken crackling as a present, and I pressed him for the recipe.

—Nigella Lawson

Examples of crackling in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Book a penthouse suite for wide-angle river views, a crackling fireplace, and a Jacuzzi built for two. —Siobhan Reid, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2025

Just imagine: a crisp fall night underneath glimmering string lights while sitting on plush outdoor furniture as a crackling fire pit is going. —Rylee Johnston, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025

Apple’s first-generation AirPods Pro, released in 2019, suffered from crackling or static sounds and a loss of active noise cancellation. —Jennifer Jolly, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025

The audio feature, part of a Sounds of Nature app, was imitating a cozy fire—complete with the sound of crackling and popping wood. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1599, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for crackling

• tackling

Kids Definition

crackling

noun

crack·​ling

1

ˈkrak-(ə-)liŋ

: a series of small sharp crackling sounds

2

ˈkrak-lən,

ˈkrak-liŋ

: the crisp remainder left after the fat has been separated from the meat or skin (as of pork)

—usually used in plural