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. craterous adj.
[ L f. Gk krater mixing-bowl: see CRASIS ]