cracknel
(ˈkræknəl)
Forms: 5 crakenelle, krakenelle, 5–6 craknel(l, 6 crakenell, crackenel(l, cracknelle, -nal, 6–9 -nell, 6– -nel.
[app. an alteration of F. craquelin: cf. the dial. equivalent crackling 4. With the F. cf. Flem. craeckelink, Du. krakeling in same sense, f. krake crack.]
1. A light, crisp kind of biscuit, of a curved or hollowed shape. Cf. crackling 4.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 48 Brede twyys bakyn, as krakenelle or symnel, or other lyke. 1481–90 Howard Housh. Bks. (Roxb.) 165 Item, to krakenelles j.d. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. xvii. 19 Whan the plate is hote, they cast of the thyn paste theron, and so make a lytle cake in maner of a crakenell, or bysket. 1530 Palsgr. 210/2 Crackenell, cracquelin. 1577 tr. Bullinger's Decades (1592) 369 That oblation was..a bowed peece of breade (which we call a cracknell) baked in an ouen. 1611 Bible 1 Kings xiv. 3 Take with thee ten loaues, and cracknels, and a cruse of honie. 1706 Phillips (ed. Kersey), Cracknels, a sort of Cakes made in shape of a Dish, and bak'd hard, so as to crackle under the Teeth. 1880 Beaconsfield Endym. lxxxix. 413 Plum cakes..and no end of cracknels. 1884 Punch 23 Feb. 85/1 Crisp as a cracknel by Huntly and Palmer. |
| attrib. 1620 Unton Invent. 27 One little cracknell boule. |
2. pl. Small pieces of fat pork fried crisp. (local Eng. and U.S.) Cf. crackling 3 b.
3. = crackle 3, crackling 5. rare.
| 1821 T. G. Wainewright Ess. & Crit. 221 And other crockery both cracknell and green dragon. |