cricket
cricket
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "cricket" is /ˈkrɪkɪt/.
First Syllable (/krɪk/):
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
/r/: Voiced alveolar approximant
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
Second Syllable (/ɪt/):
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel
/t/: Voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: cricket
Plural Noun: crickets
Present Participle/Gerund (Verb): cricketing
Past Tense/Past Participle (Verb): cricketed
Third Person Singular Present (Verb): crickets
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
Definition 1: An insect of the family Gryllidae, known for the chirping sounds produced by the male rubbing its forewings together.
Synonyms: chirper, orthopteran (broadly)
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a type of insect)
Definition 2: An outdoor team sport played with bats, a ball, and wickets, primarily popular in Commonwealth countries.
Synonyms: bat-and-ball game, wicket game
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for a sport)
Definition 3 (Informal): A fair and honorable way of behaving or playing. (Often used in phrases like "that's not cricket.")
Synonyms: fairness, sportsmanship, integrity, decency
Antonyms: unfairness, foul play, cheating, dishonesty
Verb
Definition 1: (Of a cricket) To make a high-pitched chirping sound by rubbing the forewings together.
Synonyms: chirp, stridulate
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this sound production)
Definition 2: To play the sport of cricket.
Synonyms: play cricket
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for engaging in a sport)
Examples of Use
Books:
"The air was alive with the buzz of cicadas and the insistent chorus of crickets as the sun dipped below the horizon." (From Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens, August 2018)
"He had played county cricket for years, his name a byword for elegant batting and strategic captaincy." (From A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth, May 1993)
Newspapers:
"England's Test cricket team faced a formidable challenge on their recent tour of India, highlighting the enduring rivalry between the two cricketing nations." (The Guardian)
"Local authorities are concerned about the spread of a new invasive species of cricket that poses a threat to native ecosystems." (The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"Could the Indian Premier League (IPL) revolutionize the future of global cricket, attracting new audiences and talent worldwide?" (ESPN Cricinfo)
"Tips for keeping crickets out of your home naturally, without using harsh chemicals." (Good Housekeeping online)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television (Sports Commentary): "What a shot! That's gone for six! A brilliant display of power hitting in this T20 cricket match." (Heard during a live broadcast of a T20 match on Sky Sports Cricket, May 2024)
Film: "The protagonist’s love for cricket becomes a central theme, symbolizing tradition and community in the face of modern change." (Review of Lagaan on Rotten Tomatoes, October 2022)
Video Games: Many sports simulation games, such as "EA Sports Cricket 24," allow players to experience the sport virtually. (Released October 2023)
Music Lyrics: "Summer nights, the sound of crickets sing, beneath the moon, on a velvet wing." (Heard in the song "Fireflies" by Owl City, July 2009)
General Public Discourse:
"After that controversial decision by the referee, you just knew it wasn't cricket – completely against the spirit of the game." (Heard in a casual conversation about a football match)
"My backyard is so peaceful at night; you can hear nothing but the crickets chirping." (Common everyday phrase)
10 Quotes Using Cricket
"Baseball has the great advantage over cricket of being sooner ended." (George Bernard Shaw)
"To have a cricket on the hearth, is the luckiest thing in all the world!" (Charles Dickens, The Cricket on the Hearth)
"The crickets felt it was their duty to warn everybody that summertime cannot last for ever. Even on the most beautiful days in the whole year - the days when summer is changing into autumn - the crickets spread 1the rumour of sadness and change." (E.B. White, Charlotte's Web)2
"I tend to think that cricket is the greatest thing that God ever created on earth - certainly greater than sex, although sex isn't too bad either." (Harold Pinter)
"One-day cricket is an exhibition. Test cricket is an examination." (Henry Blofeld)
"Cricket is a most precarious profession; it is called a team game but, in fact, no one is so lonely as a batsman facing a bowler supported by ten fieldsmen and observed by two umpires to ensure that his error does not go unpunished." (John Arlot3t)
"What do they know of cricket, that only cricket know?" (C.L.R. James)
"Cricket civilizes people and creates good gentlemen. I want everyone to play cricket in Zimbabwe; I want ours to be a nation of gentlemen." (Robert Mugabe)
"No matter how much cricket you have played you are always learning." (Alastair Cook)
"I hate losing and cricket being my first love, once I enter the ground it's a different zone altogether and that hunger for winning is always there." (Sachin Tendulkar)
Etymology
The word "cricket" actually has two main origins, one for the insect and one for the sport, and they developed separately.
For the Insect:
The word "cricket" for the chirping insect comes from an old French word, "criquet." This French word was probably an imitation of the sound the insect makes – a "cric-cric" sound. Imagine someone hearing that sound and trying to make a word out of it! This French word then made its way into English.
The first known use of "cricket" in English to refer to the insect was around the early 13th century. At that time, its meaning was exactly what it is today: a small, jumping insect known for its distinctive chirping sound.
For the Sport:
The origin of "cricket" for the sport is a bit less clear but is thought to come from an old Flemish word, "kricke," which meant a stick or a staff. This makes sense when you think about the early forms of the game likely involving hitting a ball with a stick. Some also suggest a connection to an Old English word "cricc" or "cryce," also meaning a staff or club.
The first known use of "cricket" in English to refer to the sport dates back to the mid-16th century, specifically around 1598. At that time, it already referred to a game played with a bat and ball, similar to the sport we know today, although it was undoubtedly less formalized than modern cricket.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Cricket
It's not cricket: This idiom means something is unfair or unsporting.
Play a straight bat: To deal with a situation honestly and directly (from cricket where hitting the ball with a straight bat is fundamental).
Hear crickets: To hear no sound at all, often implying silence where sound is expected, or a lack of response.
The sound of crickets: Refers to absolute silence, particularly when a response or noise is anticipated.
Sticky wicket: A difficult or tricky situation (from cricket where a "sticky wicket" is a wet and unpredictable playing surface).
On a sticky wicket: In a difficult or awkward situation.
A cricketing chance: A very slim chance; a remote possibility, often used negatively (e.g., "not a cricketing chance").
To have a cricket on the hearth: To have good luck or a good omen in one's home (from the Charles Dickens story).
As happy as a cricket in a cage: Paradoxically, quite unhappy or confined, despite the apparent comfort.
Cricket's chirping: Simply refers to the sound made by crickets, often used to describe a quiet evening or natural background noise.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of cricket from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
