CRATER

Crater

Crater is a constellation. Its name is Latin for cup, and in Greek mythology it is identified with the cup of the god Apollo. It was one of the 48 constellations listed by the 2nd century astronomer Ptolemy, and remains one of the 88 modern constellations. It is faint, with no star brighter than third magnitude.

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crater

Noun

  1. A hemispherical pit created by the impact of a meteorite or other object.
  2. The basinlike opening or mouth of a volcano, through which the chief eruption comes; similarly, the mouth of a geyser, about which a cone of silica is often built up.
  3. The pit left by the explosion of a mine or bomb.
  4. Any large, roughly circular depression or hole.

Noun (etymology 2)

  1. A term of endearment, a dote, a wretched thing.
    1843 - I then had the two best tarriers beneath the canopy; this poor crater is their daughter," and he patted the dog's head affectionately.
    William Hamilton Maxwell, Wild Sports of the West: With Legendary Tales, and Local Sketches , Publisher R. Bentley, page 77,
    1859 - She is a charming crater; I would venture to say that, if I was not her father.
    The British Drama: A Collection of the Most Esteemed Tragedies, Comedies ...
    1872 "Under the Greenwood Tree"
    "Then why not stop for fellow-craters -- going to thy own father's house too, as we be, and knowen us so well?"

Verb

  1. To collapse catastrophically; implode; hollow out; to become devastated or completely destroyed.
    The economy is about to crater. -- Attributed by David Letterman to Sen. John McCain. NYTimes blog
  2. To crash or fall.
    He cratered into that snow bank about five seconds after his first lesson.


The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: crater
and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

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