crusty

UK: ˈkrʌsti | US: ˈkrʌsti

Definition

  1. adj. 1. having a hard or crisp outer layer (e.g., crusty bread)

  2. adj. 2. irritable or gruff in manner (e.g., a crusty old man)

Structure
crust <hard outer layer>y <adjective suffix>
Etymology

The word "crusty" derives from the noun "crust," which originated from the Latin crusta (hard shell or rind). The suffix "-y" (Old English -ig) was added to form an adjective, initially describing physical hardness (e.g., bread) and later metaphorically extending to describe a rough or irritable personality (18th century). The evolution reflects how tactile qualities often inspire character descriptors.

Examples

  1. The baker pulled a crusty loaf of sourdough from the oven.

  2. Despite his crusty demeanor, the librarian secretly adored children.

  3. She prefers crusty baguettes over soft sandwich bread.

  4. The sailor’s crusty voice warned us about the storm.

  5. Frost left a crusty layer on the car windshield overnight.