Crumb
/krʌm/noun
A small fragment or piece broken off from something.
Did you know?Crumb is related to the same ancient root behind German Krume and Dutch kruim, showing how a simple broken piece of bread carried through the Germanic languages for centuries.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*krumbô / *krumbaz
“A bent, broken, or crumbly piece”
Old English
OE
cruma
“A crumb or small fragment of bread”
Middle English
ME
crom(e)
“A crumb or small piece”
14th–15th Century
English
crumb
“A small fragment of bread or other food”
Modern English
English
crumb
“A small fragment or piece broken off from something”