different between rickets vs crickets

English

Etymology

Unknown. Originally a local name for the disease in Dorset and Somerset, England. Occasionally postulated to be derived from a Dorsetian dialectal term *rucket (“to breathe with difficulty, wheeze”), but the semantic connection is tenuous. See rachitis, but the medical name was chosen purposefully by English physician Daniel Whistler from phonetic similarity to rickets.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???k?ts/

Noun

rickets (uncountable)

1. (pathology) A disorder of infancy and early childhood caused by a deficiency of vitamin D, causing soft bones.

Synonyms

• rachitis, rhachitis

Related terms

• ricketiness
• rickety

Translations

See also

• osteomalacia
• rachitic

Anagrams

• restick, sticker, tickers

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /?k??k?ts/
• Hyphenation: crick?ets

Etymology 1

Sense 2 is derived from the cinematic metaphor of chirping crickets at night, signaling (otherwise) complete quiet.

Noun

crickets

1. plural of cricket.
2. (US, Canada, slang, humorous) Used alone or in metaphorically descriptive phrases: absolute silence; no communication.

See also

• stridulation

Etymology 2

Interjection

crickets

1. Expressing mild annoyance or surprise.
   • 1902, George Ade, “The Fable of the Long-range Lover, the Lollypaloozer, and the Line of Talk”, in The Girl Proposition. A Bunch of He and She Fables, New York, N.Y.: R. H. Russell, OCLC 776243245; republished Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Literature House, 1969, OCLC 695700303, page 9:

     "Oh Crickets! I seen you at the The-ayter one Night," she said. "I was there with Ollie Pozozzle of Minneapolis. Me and him come out just behind you. […]"

Swedish

Noun

crickets

1. indefinite genitive singular of cricket