crunchyadj.
/ˈkrʌnʃi/ Fit for crunching or for being crunched; crisp.
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the world > matter > constitution of matter > weakness > [adjective] > brittle or fragile > crisp
crisp1530
crispy1611
cassant1725
crisped1769
snappish1833
crackly1859
crunchable1906
crunchy1929
1929 Daily Express 3 Jan. 5 The crispest and crunchiest of nuts from Brazil.
1971 Woman's Own 6 Feb. 3 (advt.) Crisp and crunchy biscuits.
Derivatives
ˈcrunchiness n. the quality of being crunchy.
ΘΚΠ
the world > matter > constitution of matter > weakness > [noun] > brittleness or fragility > crispness
crispness1656
crispinessa1665
crimpness1699
crispature1745
crunchiness1892
the world > life > the body > digestive or excretive organs > digestive organs > mouth > tooth or teeth > [noun] > specific quality
crunchiness1892
1892 W. Besant in Pictorial World 6 Feb. 434/2 Showing molars of a whiteness and crunchiness both beautiful and awful.
1928 Daily Express 14 June 4 The ripe-corn flavour and delightful ‘crunchiness’..make it unusually tempting.
1960 News Chron. 12 Oct. 8/2 The crisp crunchiness of a breakfast cereal.
Draft additions March 2003
figurative.
a. Of harmonies (esp. vocal harmonies): harmonically complex or unconventional; dissonant.
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society > leisure > the arts > music > musical sound > [adjective] > inharmonious or unmelodious
discordanta1425
jarring1552
dissonant1573
tuneless1595
discordous1597
immelodious1601
discord1606
absurd1617
unharmoniousa1634
scrannel1638
unmelodious1665
disharmonious1683
disharmonical1688
unharmonic1694
dissonous1715
inharmonious1715
disconsonant1731
anti-musical1824
ear-sore1859
tin-kettley1862
cacophonous1867
unnoted1867
callithumpian1886
tinny1904
crunchy1959
1959 N.Y. Times 3 May ii. 11/2 A strong rhythmical drive as sharply defined as that of the metronome would need no special translation for any alert American musician, nor would the fine specimens of ‘crunchy’ percussive harmony.
1990 Folk Roots Aug. 33/1 It's full of what I would describe as crunchy harmonies, rather ‘difficult’ sounds.
2001 Edmonton (Alberta) Jrnl. (Nexis) 6 Jan. c2 Kenton and his arrangers were using avant-garde harmonic concepts that hadn't yet found their way into jazz or pop music. It was the delicious, crunchy harmonies that he used.., back then our ears were running to catch up with his adventurous concepts.
b. Of rock music or chords (esp. produced by a guitar): having a crisp, distorted sound (typically produced by an overdriven amplifier or by an effects pedal replicating such a sound).
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society > leisure > the arts > music > type of music > pop music > [adjective] > qualities of pop
metal?1518
anthemic1890
Afro-Latin-American1900
sun-kissed1907
heavy1937
Latin American1937
Memphis1938
sun-drenched1943
indie1945
rockish1955
hardcore1957
doo-wop1958
middle of the road1959
Latin1962
straight-ahead1964
easy listening1965
Motown1965
funky1967
post-rock1967
rocky1967
rock-out1968
funkadelic1969
funked out1970
grungy1971
punk1971
grunge1972
Philly1972
dub1973
drum and bass1975
disco funky1976
punkish1976
reggaefied1976
Britpop1977
post-punk1977
anarcho-punk1979
rap1980
trash rock1980
crunchy1981
industrial1981
New Romantic1981
rockist1981
garage1982
hip-hop1982
thrashy1982
urban1982
Gothic1983
hip-hopping1983
beat-box1984
lo-fi1986
technoid1986
hip-house1987
acid house1988
new jack1988
old school1988
techno1988
baggy1990
banging1990
gangsta1990
filthy1991
handbaggy1991
nu skool1991
sampladelic1991
junglist1993
1981 Washington Post 19 Nov. c12/3 ‘Find Another Fool’ toughens up the formula a bit with crunchy hard rock guitar.
1994 Guitarist Sept. 92/2 These can range from a nice crunchy psychobilly effects [sic], complete with realistic slap back echo, right up to some scary sounding Steve Vai-style long delay/heavy distortion sounds.
2002 Bath Chron. (Electronic ed.) 8 May The album is a psychedelic combination of memorable melodies, grainy lo-fi vocals, pop harmonies and crunchy guitar held together by deceptively effective keyboards and a knowing rhythm section.
Draft additions March 2003
crunchy-granola n. and adj. North American (a) n. (also with capital initial), a breakfast cereal popularized in health food stores and cooperatives in the early 1970s; (b) adj. (in extended use) relating to or characterized by ecological awareness, liberal political views, and an interest in ‘natural’ products and health foods, esp. in a manner seen as conforming to a social stereotype; see granola n.
ΚΠ
1970 N.Y. Times 4 Oct. x. 1/2 They took great interest in our low-budget dinners of brown rice, vegetables and the health cereal called Crunchy Granola.
1984 M. Atwood in N.Y. Times 9 Sept. xx. 33/5 The hippies, with their crunchy-granola back-to-earth healthiness and blue-jean uniforms, were an American invention.
1997 Restaurant Hospitality (Electronic ed.) Mar. 18 The sexy-cool thing to have for breakfast morphed from crunchy granola to fruit-filled yogurt to a bagel with a schmeer.
1999 Abilities (Toronto) Winter 17/3 He was crunchy-granola and gruff and tough.
Draft additions March 2003
North American. [Perhaps short for crunchy-granola n. and adj. at Additions] Relating to or characterized by ecological awareness, liberal political views, and an interest in ‘natural’ products and health foods, esp. in a manner seen as conforming to a social stereotype. See granola n.
ΚΠ
1982 A. Lane & W. Crawford Vals (film script for ‘Valley Girls’, rev. draft) 51 (stage direct.) Most of the business is vitamins, minerals and healthy snacks. But the small sandwich bar is quite popular with the smoothy and crunchy sandwich set.
1992 Boston Globe (Nexis) 25 Sept. 60 An image just baby-boom crunchy enough to be environmentally in without alienating the heartland with tree-hugging extremism.
1994 Vibe Nov. 144 Of course, well-meaning, crunchy, Afro-cult-natural-peace-loving B-boys can be tiresome and oppressive as well.
2001 Organic Style Sept.–Oct. 18 The environmental movement, however well intentioned, tends to be—dare I say it—crunchy, exclusive, and more than a little holier-than-thou.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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adj.1892