† Cratchen, -ing. World English Historical Dictionary

† Cratchen, -ing. World English Historical Dictionary Dictionary Biographies Literary Criticism Welcome Terms of Service ⧏ Previous Next ⧐ Contents Slice Contents Key Bibliographic Record Murray’s New English Dictionary. 1893, rev. 2025. † Cratchen, -ing

Obs. (exc. dial.) [app. the same as CRACON, crakan, with palatalized k; but it has also the variant form SCRATCHIN(G, as if associated with the pair cratch, scratch.] In pl. The refuse of grease or tallow; = CRACKLING sb. 3.

1

1601.  Holland, Pliny, II. 369. The … grease … is to passe through linnen bags that it may be tried from all the grosse cratchens.

2

1688.  R. Holme, Armoury, III. 102/2. Craves or Cratchens is the Dross of the Tallow.

3

1884.  Chesh. Gloss., Cratcherns or Cratchings, (1) the dried up bits that remain after the rendering of lard, used for making cratchern cakes; (2) graves, from a chandler’s refuse fat.

4

1887.  S. Chesh. Gloss., Cratchin, (1) one of the bits of flesh remaining after the ‘rendering down’ of lard.

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