cricket

1 of 3

noun (1)

crick·​et ˈkri-kət How to pronounce cricket (audio)
plural crickets
1
: any of a family (Gryllidae) of leaping orthopteran insects noted for the chirping notes produced by the male by rubbing together specially modified parts of the forewings
2
crickets : a conspicuous lack of response : silence
At one point I asked him a question and took a long sip of my drink to allow him a moment to pose the question back to me. It was crickets … Silence.The Star
And yet, nothing. Crickets. Silence.Kurt Bardella
You post day in and day out hoping to see the social side of social media start to happen. Sometimes, a like or two will pop up, but most of the time, you hear crickets. It's disheartening.Jordan Kasteler
3
: a low wooden footstool
4
: a small metal toy or signaling device that makes a sharp click or snap when pressed

Illustration of cricket

Illustration of cricket
  • cricket 1

cricket

2 of 3

noun (2)

1
: a game played with a ball and bat by two sides of usually 11 players each on a large field centering upon two wickets each defended by a batsman
2
: fair and honorable behavior
it wasn't cricket for her to break her contractGerry Nadel

cricket

3 of 3

verb

cricketed; cricketing; crickets

intransitive verb

: to play the game of cricket
cricketer noun

Examples of cricket in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Former Australia batter Stuart Law has been sacked as coach of the U.S. men's national team as the spotlight from power brokers intensifies on the continual tumult engulfing American cricket. Tristan Lavalette, Forbes, 27 Oct. 2024 In total, 21 images were beamed onto the building’s white shells from 9 p.m. until midnight, including black and white photos of then-Prince Charles playing cricket, on horseback and at Bondi Beach in 1966, as well as a portrait taken for the Australian public last year, according to the Times. Rachel Burchfield, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
Sports, especially cricket, and local drama and romance productions lead the consumption of premium streaming. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 19 Sep. 2024 Khan, who captained Pakistan to cricket World Cup glory in 1992 and entered politics four years later, rose to power on a ticket of anti-corruption. Sophia Saifi, CNN, 6 Feb. 2024 See all Example Sentences for cricket 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English criket, from Anglo-French, of imitative origin

Noun (2)

Middle French criquet goal stake in a bowling game

First Known Use

Noun (1)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (2)

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1809, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of cricket was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near cricket

Cite this Entry

“Cricket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cricket. Accessed 29 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

cricket

1 of 2 noun
crick·​et ˈkrik-ət How to pronounce cricket (audio)
: any of a family of leaping insects related to the grasshoppers and having leathery forewings used by the males to produce a chirping sound

cricket

2 of 2 noun
1
: a game played on a large field with bats, ball, and wickets by two teams of 11 players each
2
: fair play
cricketer noun
Etymology

Noun

Middle English criket "cricket (insect)," from early French criquet (same meaning); probably an imitation of the insect's sound

Noun

from early French criquet "goal stake in an old bowling game"

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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