crater

noun (1)

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cra·ter | \ ˈkrā-tər

plural craters

Definition of crater

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : 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

crater

verb

cratered; cratering; craters

Definition of crater (Entry 2 of 3)

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

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

Other Words from crater Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About crater

Synonyms & Antonyms for crater

Synonyms: Verb

Antonyms: Verb

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 Ohio State sat one spot lower at No. 16, still furiously trying to climb out of the crater left by an early season home loss to Virginia Tech. — Nathan Baird, cleveland, 2 Nov. 2021 The crater walls collapsed, sending out a pulse of energy that registered at seismic stations across Alaska. — Jennifer Leman, The Atlantic, 5 July 2021 Seagulls build their nests in the lush vegetation, especially around the island’s other famous crater lake, Lagoa do Fogo. — Ann Abel, Forbes, 14 June 2021 Eventually, the ground under Oak Flat will subside and create a crater about 1,000 feet deep and nearly 2 miles across. — Debra Utacia Krol, The Arizona Republic, 31 Oct. 2021 Enchanted Lagoon, a limpid pool in an ancient volcanic crater. — Michael Snyder, Travel + Leisure, 28 Oct. 2021 Muncy’s absence created a crater in the middle of the lineup in the postseason. — Los Angeles Times, 26 Oct. 2021 Serpents of lava were slithering out of a southeastern crater, but Behncke, a volcanologist at Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology, felt no need to take his hard hat out of his bag. — Robin George Andrews, The Atlantic, 18 Oct. 2021 After catching lightning in a bottle with 2019 offensive coordinator Joe Brady, who left that winter for the NFL, Orgeron hired former Nebraska coach Bo Pelini and watched the defense crater in one of the worst performances in program history. — Paul Myerberg, USA TODAY, 17 Oct. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb That the people in power truly had insulated themselves in a fantasy environment — not just in the realm of foreign policy, but also, more concretely, in the endless faux-bucolic subdivisions that would crater the economy. — New York Times, 29 Sep. 2021 The crypto could crater once again, and miners lured by the bonanza could flood the market, lowering the piece of the industry pie chart that Stronghold would garner. — Shawn Tully, Fortune, 21 Oct. 2021 After watching revenues crater over the last 18 months, and knowing that the salary cap will be all-but-flat for the next few years as those shortfalls are addressed, all parties now seem to be craving security. — Carol Schram, Forbes, 20 Oct. 2021 For a team hoping that David Krejci’s departure won’t crater their secondary scoring, Coyle’s re-emergence was a welcome sight. — BostonGlobe.com, 7 Oct. 2021 Not long ago, the received wisdom among would-be Social Security pundits was that COVID-19 would absolutely crater the system’s finances. — Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2021 The global economy, which depends on the stability of U.S. Treasury bonds, could crater, creating a situation at least as bad as the 2008 economic collapse. — Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 23 Sep. 2021 Kristen, and the president's poll numbers, especially among independents, just seem to crater. — ABC News, 5 Sep. 2021 Other fads like Beanie Babies or Pogs blew up in the '90s only to crater, leaving most collectors holding worthless junk. — Ken Sweet, ajc, 3 Sep. 2021

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.

History and Etymology for crater

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