cricket

Signification

Noun

1. An insect in the order Orthoptera, especially family Gryllidae, that makes a chirping sound by rubbing its wing casings against combs on its hind legs.
2. (slang) An insect in the order Orthoptera, especially family Gryllidae, that makes a chirping sound by rubbing its wing casings against combs on its hind legs.
3. A signalling device used by soldiers in hostile territory to identify themselves to a friendly in low visibility conditions.
4. (slang) An aural warning sound consisting of a continuously-repeating chime, designed to be difficult for pilots to ignore.

Verb

To play the game of cricket.

Prononcé comme (IPA)

/ˈkɹɪkɪt/

Étymologie

From Middle English creket, crykett, crykette, from Old French criket (with diminutive -et) from criquer (“to make a cracking sound; creak”), from Middle Dutch kricken (“to creak; crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną, related to Middle English creken, criken (“to creak”), all ultimately of imitative origin.
Compare Dutch kriek (“cricket”), Middle Dutch krikel, criekel, crekel (“cricket”) (with diminituve -el), Middle Low German krikel, krekel (“cricket”), German Kreckel (“cricket”). More at creak.