2 ADJ A situation or event that is cruel is very harsh and causes people distress. □ …struggling to survive in a cruel world with which they cannot cope. ● cru|el|ly ADV [usu ADV with v] □ His life has been cruelly shattered by an event not of his own making.
cru|el|ty /kruː əlti/ (cruelties ) N‑VAR Cruelty is behaviour that deliberately causes pain or distress to people or animals. □ [+ to ] Britain had laws against cruelty to animals but none to protect children. □ [+ of ] He had been unable to escape the cruelties of war.
cru|et /kruː I t/ (cruets )
1 N‑COUNT A cruet is a small container, or set of containers, for salt, pepper, or mustard which is used at meals. [BRIT ] □ …a cruet set.
2 N‑COUNT A cruet is a small glass bottle that contains oil or vinegar and is used at the table at meals. [AM ]
cruise ◆◇◇ /kruː z/ (cruises , cruising , cruised )
1 N‑COUNT A cruise is a holiday during which you travel on a ship or boat and visit a number of places. □ He and his wife were planning to go on a world cruise.
2 VERB If you cruise a sea, river, or canal, you travel around it or along it on a cruise. □ [V n] She wants to cruise the canals of France in a barge. □ [V prep/adv] Try cruising around the Greek islands in a traditional fishing boat.
3 VERB If a car, ship, or aircraft cruises somewhere, it moves there at a steady comfortable speed. □ [V prep/adv] A black and white police car cruised past.
4 VERB If a team or sports player cruises to victory, they win easily. [JOURNALISM ] □ [V + to ] Williams looked in awesome form as she cruised to an easy victory.
crui se mi s|sile (cruise missiles ) N‑COUNT A cruise missile is a missile which carries a nuclear warhead and which is guided by a computer.
cruis|er /kruː zə r / (cruisers )
1 N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A cruiser is a motor boat which has an area for people to live or sleep in. □ …a motor cruiser.
2 → see also cabin cruiser
3 N‑COUNT A cruiser is a large fast warship. □ Italy had lost three cruisers and two destroyers.
4 N‑COUNT A cruiser is a police car. [AM ]
cruiser|weight /kruː zə r we I t/ (cruiserweights ) N‑COUNT A cruiserweight is another name for a light heavyweight . [mainly BRIT ]
cru ise ship (cruise ships ) N‑COUNT A cruise ship is a large ship which takes people from place to place on a cruise holiday, and on which entertainment, food, and drink are provided. □ He got a job as a singer on a cruise ship.
crumb /krʌ m/ (crumbs )
1 N‑COUNT [usu pl] Crumbs are tiny pieces that fall from bread, biscuits, or cake when you cut it or eat it. □ I stood up, brushing crumbs from my trousers.
2 N‑COUNT A crumb of something, for example information, is a very small amount of it. □ [+ of ] At last Andrew gave them a crumb of information.
crum|ble /krʌ mb ə l/ (crumbles , crumbling , crumbled )
1 VERB If something crumbles , or if you crumble it, it breaks into a lot of small pieces. □ [V ] Under the pressure, the flint crumbled into fragments. □ [V n] Roughly crumble the cheese into a bowl.
2 VERB If an old building or piece of land is crumbling , parts of it keep breaking off. □ [V ] The high- and low-rise apartment blocks built in the 1960s are crumbling. □ [V prep/adv] The cliffs were estimated to be crumbling into the sea at the rate of 10ft an hour. ● PHRASAL VERB Crumble away means the same as crumble . □ [V P ] Britain's coastline stretches 4000 kilometres and much of it is crumbling away.
3 VERB If something such as a system, relationship, or hope crumbles , it comes to an end. □ [V ] Their economy crumbled under the weight of sanctions. ● PHRASAL VERB Crumble away means the same as crumble . □ [V P ] Opposition more or less crumbled away.
4 VERB If someone crumbles , they stop resisting or trying to win, or become unable to cope. □ [V ] He is a skilled and ruthless leader who isn't likely to crumble under pressure.
5 N‑VAR [usu n N ] A crumble is a baked pudding made from fruit covered with a mixture of flour, butter, and sugar. [BRIT ] □ …apple crumble.
▸ crumble away → see crumble 2 , crumble 3
crum|bly /krʌ mbli/ (crumblier , crumbliest ) ADJ Something that is crumbly is easily broken into a lot of little pieces. □ …crumbly cheese.
crum|my /krʌ mi/ (crummier , crummiest ) ADJ [usu ADJ n] Something that is crummy is unpleasant, of very poor quality, or not good enough. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ When I first came here, I had a crummy flat.
crum|pet /krʌ mp I t/ (crumpets )
1 N‑COUNT Crumpets are round, flat pieces of a substance like bread or batter with small holes in them. You toast them and eat them with butter. [mainly BRIT ]
2 N‑UNCOUNT Some men refer to attractive women as crumpet . This use could cause offence. [BRIT , INFORMAL ]