crisp

American  

[krisp] / krɪsp /

adjective

crisper, crispest

1. (especially of food) hard but easily breakable; brittle.

   crisp toast.

2. (especially of food) firm and fresh; not soft or wilted.

   a crisp leaf of lettuce.

3. brisk; sharp; clear; decided.

   a crisp reply.

4. lively; pithy; sparkling.

   crisp repartee.

5. clean-cut, neat, and well-pressed; well-groomed.

6. invigorating; bracing.

   crisp air.

   Synonyms:

   nippy, fresh, brisk

7. crinkled, wrinkled, or rippled, as skin or water.

8. in small, stiff, or firm curls; curly.

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verb (used with or without object)

1. to make or become crisp.

2. to curl.

noun

1. Chiefly British. potato chip.

2. Cooking. a dessert of fruit, as apples or apricots, baked with a crunchy mixture, usually of breadcrumbs, chopped nutmeats, butter, and brown sugar.

crisp British  

/ krɪsp /

adjective

1. dry and brittle

2. fresh and firm

   crisp lettuce

3. invigorating or bracing

   a crisp breeze

4. clear; sharp

   crisp reasoning

5. lively or stimulating

   crisp conversation

6. clean and orderly; neat

   a crisp appearance

7. concise and pithy; terse

   a crisp reply

8. wrinkled or curly

   crisp hair

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verb

1. to make or become crisp

noun

1. a very thin slice of potato fried and eaten cold as a snack

2. something that is crisp

crisp Idioms  

1. see burn to a cinder (crisp).

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Other Word Forms

• crisply adverb
• crispness noun

Etymology

Origin of crisp

First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English, from Latin crispus “curled”

Example Sentences

Carey is proving a thorn in England's side and a third Test century came with crisp drives and aggression against Jacks.

From BBC

This year, somehow, I careened straight from verdant, crisp summer food — cucumber salads, crisp chicken Caesar wraps, yogurt bowls, smoothies — into the warm-orange-and-brown spectrum of winter.

From Salon

I opened the crisper and flirted with rosemary, held it over the sheet pan, then gently set it back.

From Salon

These items included crisps, sweetened fruit drinks or sodas made from plant extracts, chocolate-based sweets or confectionery, sugary breakfast cereals, and savory biscuits.

From Science Daily

Christmas cards often depict snow that is "deep and crisp and even", but often a "white Christmas" will be much less wintry in reality.

From BBC

Related Words

• crispy
• crumbly
• crusty
• fresh
• plump