Crispies

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A type of snack food that is light and crunchy, often made from rice or corn
2. A dessert or treat characterized by a crisp texture, typically containing sweet ingredients
3. A form of crispy cereal that can be eaten alone or used as a topping in various dishes

Etymology: "Crisp" once described hair, not food. It comes from Latin "crispus," meaning curled or wavy, and Old English borrowed the sense as "crisp," meaning curly. The crunchy, brittle meaning developed later, likely because curled and crinkled things tend to be brittle. The food sense is the newer one, and the curl sense survives mainly in the older phrase "crisp hair." "Crispy" adds the suffix "-y," which turns a noun or adjective into a description of a quality, so "crispy" means having the crispness of something. "Crispies" adds an informal plural ending, the pattern behind words like "goodies." The plural form became closely tied to the breakfast cereal brand Rice Krispies, and the word came to name the category of crisp cereal pieces more broadly.

Synonyms: crisps, chips, crackers, snacks

Antonyms: soft, moist, damp