crumb

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
crumb/krʌm/

▶noun

• 1 a small fragment of bread, cake, or biscuit.

  ■ the soft inner part of a loaf of bread.

• 2 a very small amount: the Budget provided few crumbs of comfort.

• 3 N. Amer. informal an objectionable or contemptible person.

▶verb (often as adj. crumbed) cover (food) with breadcrumbs.

– origin OE cruma, of Gmc origin; the final -b was added in the 16th cent., perh. from crumble.