bread-crumb

A baker sprinkles bread-crumbs over a casserole before baking.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A small fragment of bread: "bread-crumb" refers to a tiny piece or particle of bread that has broken off, often found as crumbs on a table or floor.
   • The soft inner part of bread: In culinary contexts, "bread-crumb" can also denote the soft, spongy interior of a loaf of bread, as opposed to the crust.
   • A coating or ingredient in cooking: "bread-crumb" is commonly used in the plural form ("breadcrumbs") to describe dried or fresh crumbs used for coating foods before frying or as a binding agent in dishes like meatballs or stuffings.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • She swept the bread-crumb off the kitchen counter. (A small fragment of bread left after eating.)
  • The recipe calls for fresh bread-crumb from a day-old loaf. (The soft inner part of bread, used as an ingredient.)
  • He coated the chicken in bread-crumb before frying. (Dried or fresh crumbs used for a crispy coating.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a bread-crumb": In informal or figurative language, a "bread-crumb" can refer to a small piece of information or clue, often used in contexts like detective work or digital navigation.

  • The detective followed every bread-crumb of evidence left at the scene. (Each small clue or hint.)

• "bread-crumb trail": A sequence of small clues or markers that lead to a destination or conclusion, inspired by the fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel.

  • The website uses a bread-crumb trail to show users their navigation path. (A series of clickable links indicating the user's location within a site.)

Variants and Related Words

• Breadcrumb (n): The more common spelling, often used as a single word in modern English, especially in computing (e.g., breadcrumb navigation).

  • The breadcrumb menu at the top of the page helped me return to the homepage. (A user interface element showing the path of pages visited.)

• Bread-crumby (adj): Covered with or resembling breadcrumbs.

  • The tablecloth was bread-crumby after the meal. (Covered with crumbs.)

Synonyms

• Crumb: a small fragment of bread or other baked goods.
• Morsel: a small piece or amount of food.
• Particle: a tiny portion or fragment.

Related Idioms

• Crumbs from the table: Small portions or leftovers, often used metaphorically for insignificant amounts.

  • He was grateful for the crumbs from the table of the wealthy. (Small, insignificant scraps or favors.)

• To crumble into breadcrumbs: To break down into tiny pieces.

  • The stale bread crumbled into breadcrumbs easily. (Became small fragments.)