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noun A2 Elementary Common

cricket

KRIH-kiht
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Cricket (noun) means a small jumping insect related to grasshoppers, known for the chirping sound the males make by rubbing their wings together. Example: “The crickets chirped loudly all through the summer night.”

noun
1
A small jumping insect related to grasshoppers, known for the chirping sound the males make by rubbing their wings together.
"The crickets chirped loudly all through the summer night."
"A cricket hid under the porch and sang until the early morning."
"The boy caught a cricket in a jar and let it go later."
2
A bat-and-ball team sport, popular across England and the Commonwealth, played on a large oval field with a wicket at each end.
"They stayed up late watching the cricket match between England and Australia."
"He learned to play cricket at school and still bowls for a local club."
"Our village plays cricket on the green every Sunday afternoon in summer."
3
Fair or sportsmanlike behaviour (from the phrase "not cricket").
"Reading her private messages just wasn't cricket."
"Taking the last biscuit without asking isn't quite cricket, is it?"
"It wouldn't be cricket to change the rules halfway through the game."

How to use cricket

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishEither the chirping insect, or the bat-and-ball sport played mainly in Britain and the Commonwealth.

Common mistake

The phrase "crickets" (as in silence) refers to the eerie quiet you'd only notice insect noise in — it's a separate, informal usage from the sport or the bug itself.

Common pairings
play cricket a cricket match crickets chirping
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Word forms

Plural
crickets
Third person singular
crickets
Past tense
cricketed
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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

The _____ chirped loudly all through the summer night.

Etymology

The insect sense comes from Old French criquer, "to creak or click," imitating the sound crickets make. The sport's name likely comes from the same root, possibly via a Middle Dutch word for a stick or staff used in early bat-and-ball games.

Origin: Old French

Rhymes for cricket

ticket wicket picket thicket
See all rhymes for cricket →

Frequently asked questions

What does “cricket” mean?
The word “cricket” means a small jumping insect related to grasshoppers, known for the chirping sound the males make by rubbing their wings together. In plain terms, either the chirping insect, or the bat-and-ball sport played mainly in Britain and the Commonwealth.
How do you pronounce “cricket”?
“Cricket” is pronounced KRIH-kiht (/ˈkɹɪkɪt/ in IPA).
How do you use “cricket” in a sentence?
Here is “cricket” used in a sentence: “The crickets chirped loudly all through the summer night.”
What part of speech is “cricket”?
“Cricket” is a noun.
Where does the word “cricket” come from?
The word “cricket” comes from Old French.
Is “cricket” a common word?
“Cricket” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the A2 level.
How many meanings does “cricket” have?
“Cricket” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a small jumping insect related to grasshoppers, known for the chirping sound the males make by rubbing their wings together.
What is the difference between a cricket and a grasshopper?
Crickets are small jumping insects closely related to grasshoppers, but they are best known for the chirping sound the males make by rubbing their wings together. Crickets are generally most active and noisiest at night, whereas grasshoppers are typically active by day.
What is a wicket in cricket?
In the sport of cricket, the wicket is the set of three stumps topped by two bails standing at each end of the pitch. The word is also used for a batter's dismissal, so a bowler who gets a batter out is said to take a wicket.
Which countries play cricket?
Cricket is a bat-and-ball team sport that is especially popular in England and across the Commonwealth. Major cricket-playing nations include England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa, New Zealand, and the countries of the West Indies.

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