Crumb, crum sb.

Forms: 1 cruma, 3–6 cromme, 3–7 crumme, 4–6 crome, 5 crom, crume, crwme, 5–6 crowm(e, 6 crumbe, 7 crumm, 5– crum, 7– crumb. [OE. cruma masc., related to MDu. crūme f., Du. kruim, MLG. krōme, LG. kröme, mod.Ger. krume, these having the vowel long. The ulterior derivation is obscure. The merely graphic b began to be added in the 16th c.; but crum continued to be the prevalent form to the end of the 18th c., and is recognized in 19th-c. Dictionaries. Johnson has crum, crumb.

  The b probably appeared first in the derivative crumble (where it has also invaded the pronunciation), after words of F. origin like humble; there was also the apparent analogy of OE. words like dumb, where b was retained in the spelling, though no longer pronounced: cf. thumb.]

  1.  A small particle of bread (or other friable food), such as breaks or falls off by rubbing, etc.

c. 975.  Rushw. Gosp., Matt. xv. 27. Welpas ek etaþ of cromum þe þe falleþ of beode.

c. 1000.  Ags. Gosp., ibid. Þa hwelpas etað of þam crumum.

a. 1100.  Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 330/13. Mica cruma.

c. 1200.  Ormin, 1474. Laf þatt iss wiþþutenn crummess.

1303.  R. Brunne, Handl. Synne, 6645. To ete hys fylle of þe crummes.

c. 1400.  Lanfranc’s Cirurg., 59. A crumme of breed.

c. 1450.  St. Cuthbert (Surtees), 6758. All Northumbirlande prouynce He thoght as croms of bred to mynce.

1547.  Ordre of Communion, We be not woorthie … to gather up the cromes under thy table.

1568.  Bible (Bishops’), Mark vii. 28. The childrens crumbes.

1632.  Sanderson, 12 Serm., 472. Every crumme we put in our mouthes.

1797.  Bewick, Brit. Birds (1847), I. 157. He hops round the house, picks up the crumbs.

1829.  G. R. Gleig, Chelsea Pensioners (1840), 207. A few crums which remained in our havresacks.

1849.  G. P. R. James, Woodman, xi. We feed it with the crumbs from our table.

  b.  A small particle of anything; a grain, as of dust. Obs. exc. dial.

1387.  Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), IV. 399. Was neuere founde gobet noþer cromme.

c. 1470.  Harding, Chron. CXXIV. xii. [He] … for his workes and buyldynges held eche crome.

1560.  P. Whitehorne, trans. Macchiavelli’s Arte of Warre (1573). Litle peeces or crummes of pitche.

1642.  Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., V. iv. 369. To leave no crumme of dust behind.

1655.  H. Vaughan, Silex Scint., I. 92. (Burial of Infant) Softly rest all thy Virgin-Crums!

1883.  Stevenson, Treasure Isl., III. xiv. 114. His eye … gleaming like a crumb of glass.

  2.  fig. A very small particle or portion (of something immaterial), a ‘scrap.’

a. 1535.  Fisher, Wks. (1876), 408. [Not] one crum of merit.

1541.  Barnes, Wks. (1573), 225. Some cromme of charitie within them.

1662.  Fuller, Worthies, Berks., R. of Wallingford. This their clock gathering up the least crume of time.

1719.  D’Urfey, Pills, V. 76. To beg Some Crumbs of Comfort.

1801.  Scott, Lett. to G. Ellis, 11 May. I think I could give you some more crumbs of information were I at home.

1890.  Dict. Nat. Biog., XXII. 339. Claverhouse’s only crumb of comfort was that he saved the standards.

  3.  The inner part of a loaf, not hardened in baking, and capable of being easily crumbled; the soft part of bread. Opposed to crust.

c. 1430.  Pilgr. Lyf Manhode, I. xli. (1869), 25. I entermeted me neuere to make cruste ne cromme.

c. 1440.  Anc. Cookery, in Househ. Ord. (1790), 441. Pare away the cruste, and stepe the crome in vynegur.

1605.  Shaks., Lear, I. iv. 217. He that keepes nor crust nor crum.

1726.  Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., I. 32 a. Make them thin, that they may have the more Crust and the less Crum.

1869.  E. A. Parkes, Pract. Hygiene (ed. 3), 174. Taking the bread ¹/₆ crust and ⁵/₆ crumb.

  b.  transf. Loosened and crumbled earth.

1805.  R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric. (1807), I. 16. It will give as much mould, or crumb, in the harrow, as any other furrow.

1881.  Whitehead, Hops, 45. There should be a good tilth, or crumb, at least a foot deep.

  c.  slang. Plumpness. Cf. CRUMMY 3.

1844.  Dickens, Mart. Chuz., xxix. ‘Too much crumb, you know,’ said Mr. Bailey; ‘too fat, Poll.’

  † 4.  Phr. To gather (or pick) up one’s crumbs: to ‘pick up’ or recover strength or health; to improve in condition. Obs. exc. dial.

1588.  A. Ingram, in Hakluyt, Voy., II. II. 130. Our men beganne to gather vp their crums and to recouer some better strength.

c. 1645.  Howell, Lett., 2 Feb. an. 1621. Thank God, I … am recovering and picking up my crums apace.

1840.  R. H. Dana, Bef. Mast, xxvii. [He] had ‘picked up his crumbs’ … and [was] getting strength and confidence daily.

1888.  W. Somerset Word-bk., s.v., A person or animal improving in appearance is said to be picking up his crumbs.

  5.  Comb., as crumb-catching ppl. adj.; crumb-brush, a brush for sweeping crumbs from a table; crumb-cloth, a cloth laid under a table to catch the crumbs and keep the carpet clean; sometimes laid over the greater part of a carpet.

1607.  Walkington, Opt. Glass, Ep. Ded. ¶ 3 b. Sycophants and crum-catching parasites.

1843.  Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., I. 196. The crumb cloth of the library!

1864.  Eliz. A. Murray, E. Norman, I. 6. A rich carpet, covered by a linen crumb-cloth.

1884.  Hugh Conway, in Eng. Illustr. Mag., Dec., 176/1. Whittaker came in with the crumb-brush.