crackle

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to make a rapid series of short, sharp popping sounds

   Dry twigs crackle brightly in the campfire.

2. 2
   noun

   a rapid series of short, sharp popping sounds

   The crackle of the radio made the message hard to hear.

3. 3
   verb

   to develop or cause a network of fine cracks on a surface

   Excessive heat can crackle the glaze on the pottery.

From Middle English crakelen, a frequentative form of crack made with the suffix -le. The repeated consonants and suffix suit the word's sense of a series of small cracking sounds.

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