crater

1 of 3

noun (1)

cra·​ter ˈkrā-tər How to pronounce crater (audio)
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 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

Example Sentences

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 helicopter arrived at the crater in February 2021 and completed its first flight in April of that year. Julia Musto, Fox News, 11 Mar. 2023 The picturesque crater-like swimming hole is surrounded by tropical foliage, where crystal-clear waters are home to an array of aquatic life. Leah Romero, ELLE, 10 Mar. 2023 Read This Next One of Earth's loneliest volcanoes holds an extraordinary secret Adventure A National Geographic team has made the first ascent of the remote Mount Michael, looking for a lava lake in the volcano’s crater. Magazine, 27 Feb. 2023 Tucson’s crater-like monument notwithstanding, these impacts feel less like the strikes of meteors than the devastations of a cancer devouring us from within. Los Angeles Times, 26 Jan. 2023 Perseverance has already found rocks in the Jezero crater that appear to have been shaped by water. John Wenz, Popular Mechanics, 8 Dec. 2022 But 27 sets of remains were not identified and had to be reinterred at the crater, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, commonly known as the Punchbowl. Don Babwin, ajc, 13 Sep. 2022 But 27 sets of remains were not identified and had to be reinterred at the crater, the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, commonly known as the Punchbowl. CBS News, 13 Sep. 2022 While monsoon rains eventually eroded and collapsed the lava dome on top of Mount Semeru, nearby villages were advised to stay more than 3 miles away from the crater's mouth and prompted evacuations for thousands of people, officials said. Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 5 Dec. 2022
Verb
The artillery, one of many seen in the country in the weeks prior, didn't just crater the sidewalk. Cady Stanton, USA TODAY, 16 Jan. 2023 Its leaders fear that people will pull money out of the banks, and that invasion talk scares off investment and threatens to crater the economy. Dallas News, 1 Feb. 2022 Musgrove pointed to the type of patience and pure trust few possess when things crater underneath you. Bryce Millercolumnist, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Oct. 2022 But the stock would certainly crater on any payout cut. Brett Owens, Forbes, 11 Jan. 2023 Then in the spring, when the crypto market began to crater, other crypto firms that were lenders to Alameda began to call in their loans, demanding repayment, according to the authorities. Emily Flitter, New York Times, 13 Dec. 2022 What makes Jezero crater such a significant place to go prospecting for evidence of ancient Martian life? Corey S. Powell, Discover Magazine, 18 Feb. 2021 The labor market and consumer spending have yet to crater despite the Fed’s rate hikes. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 29 Nov. 2022 The labor market and consumer spending have yet to crater despite the Fed’s rate hikes. Rachel Siegel, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Nov. 2022 See More

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

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of crater was in 1613

Dictionary Entries Near crater

Cite this Entry

“Crater.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crater. Accessed 30 Mar. 2023.

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 How to pronounce crater (audio)
: an eroded lesion of a wall or surface
ulcer craters

More from Merriam-Webster on crater

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