cruft

(krŭft)

1. Trash, debris, or other unwanted matter that accumulates over time.

2. Unnecessary digital information that accumulates over time, such as unneeded files or obsolete lines of code in software: "By removing cruft, you can recover valuable disk space ... and reduce the chance of software conflicts" (Joe Kissell).

[Originally 1950s Massachusetts Institute of Technology students' slang, perhaps after Cruft Hall (the informal name for Cruft Laboratory, a building on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where the physics department stored unused technical equipment), humorously taken as "hall of cruft" (perhaps influenced by crud and crust).]

cruft′y adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cruft

(krʌft)

(Biography) Charles. 1852–1938, British dog breeder, who organized the first (1886) of the annual dog shows known as Cruft's

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

References in periodicals archive

The show was founded by Charles Cruft, who worked for a dog biscuit manufacturer.

'Murder at Crufts' poisoning claim hits world's biggest dog show

The man who started it all in 1891 was Charles Cruft, who didn't want to join the family jewellery business, so worked with James Spratt in Holborn, London, selling dog biscuits.

THEN& NOW

"It has changed in ways that couldn't possibly have been imagined when the show was set up by the late Charles Cruft," says Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club secretary.

Go on a 'walkies' down memory lane; Crufts comes to Birmingham NEC this week. Zoe Chamberlain discovers 16 things you never knew about the world's largest dog show

Crufts was founded in the Victorian era by Charles Cruft - with the inaugural show attracting 2,437 entries to the Royal Agricultural Hall in Islington in 1891.

While some turn out in nose-to-tail waterproofs, others arrive wrapped in blankets, with one sporting a snood; DOG SHOW TURNS INTO CATWALK FOR 27,000 ANIMALS EXPECTED AT CRUFTS

The job saw him working in Europe and he was invited by French dog breeders to organise the promotion of the canine section Charles Cruft in the 1878 Paris Exhibition.

It's a dog's life! NOSTALGIA Dog lover Charles Cruft died 75 years ago. Marion McMullen goes walkies to look at the tail-wagging success of the world famous dog show

Originally known as Cruft's, the show lost its apostrophe during a rebranding exercise in 1974.

Cocker hoop about facts and figures

A SEALYHAM Terrier won the Cruft's crown last night, ending months of controversy for the world famous dog show.

Champion Charmin named as Cruft's top dog

HIS relatives must have thought Charles Cruft was barking mad when he turned his back on the family jewellery business and went to London to sell "dog cakes".

It's a dog's life! Dog lover Charles Cruft died 75 years ago. Marion McMullen goes walkies to look at the tail-wagging success of the world famous dog show

The first show named Crufts - "Cruft's Greatest Dog Show"- was held at the Royal Agricultural Hall, Islington, in 1891.

TOP DOGS; AS CRUFTS RETURNS TO BIRMINGHAM NEXT WEEK WE TAKE A WALKIES DOWN MEMORY LANE..

Mark is urging dog owners to make sure their pets are up to date with all their worming and flea treatments as warmer weather approaches and is appearing at Cruft as part of his role as ambassador for The Inseparables campaign.

Watch: Crufts 2016 - Dog loving celebs enjoy famous canine event's 125th birthday; It's the world's biggest dog show and this year Crufts is celebrating its 125th birthday

The show was founded by Charles Cruft - a travelling salesman who had a brainwave.

A global dog show that was always a breed apart