Cra|ter

cra|ter ¹ «KRAY tuhr», noun, verb.

–noun.

1. an opening at the top of a volcano, shaped like a bowl.

2. a hole in the ground shaped like a bowl: »

The battlefield was full of craters made by exploding shells. The meteor crashed to earth, forming a huge crater.

3. a round, ringlike elevation on the surface of the moon, resembling the crater of a volcano.

4. a large bowl or jar used by the ancient Greeks and Romans, especially for mixing water with wine; krater.

–transitive verb.

to cover (a highway or other flat area) with craterlike holes, as by heavy bombing: »

The runways were effectively cratered and planes were destroyed on the ground (Dwight D. Eisenhower).

–intransitive verb.

1. to form a crater or hollow.

2. Informal. to collapse or fail: »

With the market cratering, investors fled like rats from the proverbial sinking ship.

╂[< Latin crātēr < Greek krāt bowl for mixing wine with water < kerannúnai to mix]

crat|er² «KRAY tuhr», noun.

a person or thing that packs or stores goods in a crate.

Cra|ter «KRAY tuhr», noun, genitive Cra|ter|is.

a southern constellation between Hydra and Leo, supposed to represent a vase with two handles and a base; Cup.

╂[< Latin Crātēr, -ēris]