cricket

¹ American  

[krik-it] / ˈkrɪk ɪt /

noun

1. any of several jumping, orthopterous insects of the family Gryllidae, characterized by long antennae and stridulating organs on the forewings of the male, as one of the species commonly found in pastures and meadows field cricket or on trees and shrubs tree cricket.

2. a small metal toy with a flat metal spring that snaps back and forth with a clicking, cricketlike noise when pressed.

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cricket ² American  

[krik-it] / ˈkrɪk ɪt /

noun

1. a game, popular especially in England, for two teams of 11 members each that is played on a field having two wickets 22 yards (20 meters) apart, the object being to score runs by batting the ball far enough so that one is enabled to exchange wickets with the batsman defending the opposite wicket before the ball is recovered.

2. fair play; honorable conduct.

   It wouldn't be cricket to look at his cards.

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verb (used without object)

1. to play cricket.

cricket ³ American  

[krik-it] / ˈkrɪk ɪt /

noun

1. a small, low stool.

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cricket ⁴ American  

[krik-it] / ˈkrɪk ɪt /

noun

1. (on a sloping roof) a small roof for diverting rainwater around an obstruction, as a chimney.

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cricket ¹ British  

/ ˈkrɪkɪt /

noun

1. 1. a game played by two teams of eleven players on a field with a wicket at either end of a 22-yard pitch, the object being for one side to score runs by hitting a hard leather-covered ball with a bat while the other side tries to dismiss them by bowling, catching, running them out, etc

   2. ( as modifier )

      a cricket bat

2. informal not fair play

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verb

1. to play cricket

cricket ² British  

/ ˈkrɪkɪt /

noun

1. any insect of the orthopterous family Gryllidae, having long antennae and, in the males, the ability to produce a chirping sound (stridulation) by rubbing together the leathery forewings

2. any of various related insects, such as the mole cricket

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cricket ³ British  

/ ˈkrɪkɪt /

noun

1. a small low stool

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cricket Idioms  

1. see not cricket.

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Other Word Forms

• cricketer noun
• cricketlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of cricket¹

First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English criket, creket, from Old French criquet, equivalent to criqu(er) “to creak” (imitative) + -et noun suffix; -et

Origin of cricket²

First recorded in 1590–1600; from Middle French criquet “goalpost”; further origin uncertain; perhaps from Middle Dutch krick(e) “arm, crosspiece, stick, staff, gallows”

Origin of cricket³

First recorded in 1635–45; of obscure origin; compare cracket, with same sense

Origin of cricket⁴

Of uncertain origin

Explanation

A cricket is a chirping insect that resembles a grasshopper. Cricket is also a popular British sport played with a ball and a flat bat. A cricket might be on the cricket field, but it’s too little to throw the ball. Crickets have small wings and antennae, and while they don't fly, they can hop far. In some places, it's common to keep a cricket as a pet — and in other places, crickets are eaten and considered crispy delicacies. If you ever get a cricket mixed up with a grasshopper, remember that crickets are usually brown and grasshoppers are green. The root of the insect is criquer, "creak or crackle," and the sport comes from cricke, Middle Dutch for "stick."

Example Sentences

There was a time when baseball shared the title of “national pastime” with cricket, an import from England that crossed the Atlantic.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026

England captain Ben Stokes said he is "lucky" and "might not be here" had things been slightly different when he was hit in the face by a cricket ball in February.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The extent of the damage at the Riverside, an international cricket venue, has not yet been disclosed.

From BBC • Apr. 5, 2026

It was a Surrey seventh-wicket record against Warwickshire in first-class cricket.

From BBC • Apr. 3, 2026

The only things on TV were cricket where nobody scored and a western where nobody shot anyone.

From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell

Related Words

• decent
• fair
• honest
• proper
• reasonable
• stable
• unbiased