cracker

[krak-er]

noun

1. a thin, crisp biscuit.

2. a firecracker.

3. Also called cracker bonbon. a small paper roll used as a party favor, that usually contains candy, trinkets, etc., and that pops when pulled sharply at one or both ends.

4. (initial capital letter),  a native or inhabitant of Georgia or Florida (used as a nickname).

5. Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.,  a contemptuous term used to refer to a white person in the South, especially a poor white living in some rural parts of the southeastern U.S.

6. Slang.,  black hat.

7. snapper.

8. braggart; boaster.

9. a person or thing that cracks.

10. a chemical reactor used for cracking.

adjective

1. Informal.,  crackers, wild; crazy.

   They went crackers over the new styles.

cracker

/ ˈkrækə /

noun

1. a decorated cardboard tube that emits a bang when pulled apart, releasing a toy, a joke, or a paper hat

2. short for firecracker

3. a thin crisp biscuit, usually unsweetened

4. a person or thing that cracks

5. offensive,  another word for poor White

6. slang,  a thing or person of notable qualities or abilities

7. informal,  worthless; useless

Sensitive Note

The term cracker is used as a neutral nickname by inhabitants of Georgia and Florida; it is a positive term of self-reference. But when the nickname is used by outsiders, it is usually with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting by Georgians and Floridians. Cracker is always disparaging and offensive when used to refer to a poor white person in the South; the word in this sense often implies that the person is regarded as ignorant or uneducated. When used by Black people, cracker can refer to a Southern white racist, not necessarily poor or rural. See also Cracker State.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cracker¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English craker; crack, -er ¹; cracker defs. 4, 5 were perhaps originally in sense “braggart,” applied to frontiersmen of the southern American colonies in the 1760s, though subsequently given other interpretations ( corn-cracker ); cracker for def. 11 crackers “crazy,” cracked, -ers

Example Sentences

It’s best enjoyed warm and served alongside tortilla chips, toasted baguette slices, crackers, or cut-up vegetables.

From Salon

In Newcastle, Joshua Robb, 37, spent a week preparing a six-course Christmas meal for friends, the dinner table dressed with Christmas crackers and printed menus adorned with holly motifs.

From BBC

The bite-sized, gluten-free crackers are a cheese lover’s dream come true.

From Salon

She eats shrimp for its pop and the way she can lick it; graham crackers for their whisper and crackle; almonds for their snap; celery sticks for their crunch.

From Los Angeles Times

I scoop it up with Breton crackers, usually while standing at the fridge like a little gremlin.

From Salon

Related Words

• biscuit 
• cookie 
• pretzel