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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
Kevin D. Conod
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
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 WebJulia 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
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
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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
Articles Related to crater
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 
: an eroded lesion of a wall or surface
ulcer craters
More from Merriam-Webster on crater
Nglish: Translation of crater for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of crater for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crater
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