crickets

crick-ets · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    (plural of "cricket") Leaping insects related to grasshoppers, known for their chirping sound.

  2. 2.

    (informal) Complete silence, especially in response to a joke or question that receives no reaction.

Related words

See also: cricket, grasshopper, silence

Etymology

Plural of cricket, from Old French criquet, imitative of the insect's sound. The slang meaning refers to the sound of crickets that emphasizes silence.