crater

1 of 3

noun (1)

cra·​ter ˈkrā-tər 

plural craters

1

a

: the bowl-shaped depression around the orifice of a volcano

b

: a depression formed by an impact (as of a meteorite)

c

: a hole in the ground made by the explosion of a bomb or shell

2

: an eroded lesion

3

: a dimple in a painted surface

4

Crater astronomy : a constellation that is visible between the constellations of Corvus and Hydra and that is represented by the figure of a cup

Both the cup and the snake are here in the sky. If you have dark enough skies, you can spot the faint stars of Crater the cup and Hydra the snake to the right of Corvus.

—Kevin D. Conod

craterlike

ˈkrā-tər-ˌlīk 

adjective

crater

2 of 3

verb

cratered; cratering; craters

intransitive verb

1

: to exhibit or form craters

2

: to fail or fall suddenly and dramatically : collapse, crash

the deal cratered

cratering stock prices

transitive verb

: to form craters in

crater

3 of 3

noun (2)

cra·​ter

less common spelling of krater

: a jar or vase of classical antiquity having a large round body and a wide mouth and used for mixing wine and water

Synonyms

Verb

• bomb
• collapse
• fail
• flame out
• flop
• flunk
• fold
• founder
• miss
• strike out
• tank
• wash out

Examples of crater in a Sentence

Verb

The deal cratered when neither party could agree on the final price.

Stock prices cratered after the companies' merger.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The crater where the city once stood was known as the Malthee Crater, which seems like it might be related to the Maltheen Divide. —James Grebey, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025

Last fall, a team of Harvard researchers published an analysis of the distance between Gaza’s hospitals and the craters from two-thousand-pound M-84 bombs. —Clayton Dalton, New Yorker, 18 Apr. 2025

Verb

These two economic realities could bankrupt the dollar, seriously crater our economy and make the Depression look like the Roaring ’20s. —Chicago Tribune, 7 Apr. 2025

But without Lillard's clutch shot creation and passing, the Bucks offense will crater late. —Paul Du Quenoy, MSNBC Newsweek, 26 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

borrowed from Latin crātēr, crātēra "mixing bowl, basin of a fountain, bowl-shaped depression around the mouth of a volcano," borrowed from Greek krātḗr "mixing bowl, bowl-shaped depression around the mouth of a volcano," from krā-, variant stem of keránnȳmi, kerannýnai "to mix, mingle (as wine with water)" (going back to Indo-European *ḱerh₂-, *ḱr̥h₂- "mix," whence also Sanskrit ā́-śīrta- "mixed," Avestan sārəṇtē "[they] meet, unite") + -tēr, instrumental suffix

Verb

derivative of crater entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1884, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for crater

• cater
• frater
• freighter
• gator
• grater
• greater
• hater
• krater
• later
• plater
• prater
• rater

Kids Definition

crater

noun

cra·​ter

ˈkrāt-ər

1

: a hollow shaped like a bowl around the opening of a volcano

2

: a hole made by an impact (as of a meteorite) or by the explosion of a bomb or shell

Medical Definition

crater

noun

cra·​ter ˈkrāt-ər 

: an eroded lesion of a wall or surface

ulcer craters