crap

1 of 4

verb (1)

crapped; crapping

intransitive verb

usually vulgar

crap

2 of 4

noun (1)

1
a
usually vulgar : feces
b
usually vulgar : the act of defecating
2
slang, sometimes vulgar : nonsense, rubbish

crap

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
used as an attributive form of craps
a crap gamea crap table
2
: a throw of 2, 3, or 12 in the game of craps losing the shooter his bet unless he has a point

called also craps

compare natural

crap

4 of 4

verb (2)

crapped; crapping

intransitive verb

1
: to throw a crap
2
: to throw a seven while trying to make a point
usually used with out

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
The basic story is that the ancient Greeks were good at science, the Romans were great engineers, and then everything went to crap for about a thousand years until Galileo showed up and set everybody straight about the scientific method. Chad Orzel, Forbes, 12 May 2021 But consider the other possibility: What if those big gambles crap out? Bill Keen, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2021 In legislative session after session, gambling bills crap out, with lawmakers taking their cues from anti-gambling expansion forces. Gromer Jeffers Jr., Dallas News, 8 Mar. 2021 Both political parties can’t crap on white people enough. Anthony Leonardi, Washington Examiner, 16 Nov. 2020

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1) and Verb (1)

British dialect crap, craps residue from rendered fat, from Middle English crappe, perhaps from Old French crappe chaff, residue, from Medieval Latin crappa

Noun (2)

singular of craps

First Known Use

Verb (1)

1846, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

circa 1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun (2)

1843, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

circa 1930, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of crap was in 1843

Dictionary Entries Near crap

Cite this Entry

“Crap.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crap. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

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