crusty
/ˈkɹʌsti/ adjective, noun
Forms crustier crustiest crusties crustie
- adjective Having a crust, especially a thick one.
- adjective (informal, figuratively, of a person or behavior) Short-tempered and gruff but, sometimes, with a harmless or benign inner nature.
- adjective (informal) Of very low quality; crude visuals or harsh, granular sound. “The door opened with a crusty squeak that echoed in the silent room.”
- noun (chiefly UK, informal) A tramp or homeless young person with poor cleanliness.
- noun (slang) Dried eye mucus.
- noun (chiefly UK and Ireland, informal) A member of an urban subculture with roots in punk and grebo, characterized by antiestablishment attitudes and an unkempt appearance.
- noun (slang) Dried blood or serous fluid buildup following body piercing.
Synonyms
gruff peevish surly harsh inferior gound sleep sleepy dust crusted encrusted crustlike curmudgeonly ill-humored ill-humoured
Etymology
From Middle English crusty, equivalent to crust + -y.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Having the nature of crust; pertaining to a hard covering; as, a crusty coat; a crusty surface or substance.
- adjective Having a hard exterior, or a short, rough manner, though kind at heart; snappish; peevish; surly.
Etymology [Possibly a corruption of cursty. Cf. Curst, Curstness.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “crusty”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details