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noun

crackling

KRAK-lihng

Crackling (noun) means the crisp, crunchy rind left on roast pork after cooking. Example: “Everyone fought over the last piece of crackling on the Sunday roast.”

noun
1
The crisp, crunchy rind left on roast pork after cooking.
"Everyone fought over the last piece of crackling on the Sunday roast."
"She scored the pork skin carefully to get extra-crunchy crackling."
2
A series of small, sharp popping or cracking sounds repeated quickly.
"The crackling of the campfire was the only sound in the woods."
"Bad reception filled the phone call with crackling."

How to use crackling

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the crunchy skin on roast pork, or a repeated series of small popping sounds.

Common pairings
pork crackling crackling fire crackling sound

Word forms

cracklings plural

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Fill the gap

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Everyone fought over the last piece of _____ on the Sunday roast.

Etymology

Formed from crackle plus the ending "-ing", describing the ongoing sound or the crisped skin.

cracklin(s)

Rhymes for crackling

See all rhymes for crackling →

Frequently asked questions

What does “crackling” mean?

The word “crackling” means the crisp, crunchy rind left on roast pork after cooking. In plain terms, either the crunchy skin on roast pork, or a repeated series of small popping sounds.

How do you pronounce “crackling”?

“Crackling” is pronounced KRAK-lihng (/ˈkɹæk(ə)lɪŋ/ in IPA).

How do you use “crackling” in a sentence?

Here is “crackling” used in a sentence: “Everyone fought over the last piece of crackling on the Sunday roast.”

What is another word for “crackling”?

Words with a similar meaning to “crackling” include cracklin(s).

What part of speech is “crackling”?

“Crackling” is a noun.

How many meanings does “crackling” have?

“Crackling” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: the crisp, crunchy rind left on roast pork after cooking.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial