craunch

English

Etymology

See crunch.

Verb

craunch (third-person singular simple present craunches, present participle craunching, simple past and past participle craunched)

1. (transitive, archaic) To crush with the teeth; to chew with violence and noise; to crunch.
   • 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part II (A Voyage to Brobdingnag):

     She would craunch the wing of a lark, bones and all, between her teeth, although it were nine times as large as that of a full-grown turkey; and put a bit of bread into her mouth as big as two twelve-penny loaves.

Noun

craunch (plural craunches)

1. (archaic) A grinding or crunching sound.
   • 1867, Once a Week, page 242:

     He sat down to write, and occupied himself with certain papers, until there was a far-off sound of wheels: some vehicle was slowly entering the great gates; a craunch upon the gravel sweep.

2. (mining) A portion of a stratum or vein left in excavating to support the roof.