I. ˈkrā-tər noun
Etymology: Latin, mixing bowl, crater, from Greek kratēr, from kerannynai to mix; akin to Sanskrit śrīṇāti he mixes
Date: 1613
1.
a. : the bowl-shaped depression around the orifice of a volcano
b. : a depression formed by an impact (as of a meteorite)
c. : a hole in the ground made by the explosion of a bomb or shell
2. : an eroded lesion
3. : a dimple in a painted surface
• cra·ter·like ˈkrā-tər-ˌlīk adjective
II. verb
Date: 1884
intransitive verb
1. : to exhibit or form craters
2. : to fail or fall suddenly and dramatically : collapse , crash
the deal crater ed
crater ing stock prices
transitive verb
: to form craters in
III.
variant of krater