crumbs
exclamation
[ krʌmz ]
• used to express dismay or surprise.
• "‘Crumbs,’ said Emily, ‘how embarrassing.’"
Origin:
late 19th century: euphemism for Christ .
crumb
noun
• a small fragment of bread, cake, or biscuit.
• "she brushed some cake crumbs off her dress"
• a very small amount of something.
• "the Budget provided few crumbs of comfort"
Similar:
fragment,
bit,
morsel,
particle,
tiny piece,
speck,
scrap,
shred,
sliver,
atom,
grain,
granule,
trace,
tinge,
mite,
iota,
jot,
whit,
ounce,
scintilla,
vestige,
soupçon,
stim,
smidgen,
smidge,
tad,
scantling,
scruple,
• an objectionable or contemptible person.
• "he's an absolute crumb"
• granulated rubber, usually made from recycled car tyres.
crumb
verb
• cover (food) with breadcrumbs.
• "while the sweet potato is cooking, crumb the fish"
Origin:
Old English cruma, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kruim and German Krume . The final -b was added in the 16th century, perhaps from crumble but also influenced by words such as dumb, where the original final -b is retained although no longer pronounced.
