n. & v.
--n.
1. the mouth of a volcano.
2 a bowl-shaped cavity, esp. that made by the explosion of a shell or bomb.
3 Astron. a hollow with a raised rim on the surface of a planet or moon, caused by the impact of a meteorite.
4 Antiq. a large ancient Greek bowl, used for mixing wine.
--v.tr. form a crater in.
Derivatives:
craterous adj.
Etymology: L f. Gk krater mixing-bowl: see CRASIS