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crick·et 1 (krĭkĭt)
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n.
Any of various orthopteran insects of the family Gryllidae, having long antennae and legs adapted for leaping. The males of many species produce a shrill chirping sound by rubbing the front wings together.

[Middle English criket, from Old French criquet, from criquer, to click, of imitative origin.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
crick·et 2 (krĭkĭt)
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n.
1. Sports An outdoor game played with bats, a ball, and wickets by two teams of 11 players each.
2. Good sportsmanship and fair conduct: It's not cricket to cheat at cards.
intr.v. crick·et·ed, crick·et·ing, crick·ets
Sports
To play the game of cricket.

[Obsolete French criquet, piece of wood, from Old French, stick for a bowling game, perhaps from Middle Dutch cricke, walking stick.]

cricket·er, cricket·eer (-ĭ-tîr) n.
(click for a larger image)
cricket2

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
crick·et 3 (krĭkĭt)
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n.
A small wooden footstool.

[Origin unknown.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 
crick·et 4 (krĭkĭt)
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n.
A ridged structure made of two adjoining triangular pieces covered with flashing or roofing material and built at the upper intersection of a roof and chimney to divert water and prevent the accumulation of snow and debris. Also called saddle.

[Origin unknown.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
 

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

    Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

    Indo-European Roots

    Semitic Roots

    The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.