breadcrumbs

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "breadcrumbs" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts related to navigation, guidance, or tracking progress, often metaphorically. Example: "She left breadcrumbs along the trail to help others find their way back." Alternative expressions include "clues" and "markers."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The Silver Spoon and Hartnett use the classic flour, egg and breadcrumb coating, while Carluccio pares it down to just egg and breadcrumbs, which is harder to stick to the rice.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

In a large mixing bowl, rub the butter and lard into the flour until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

First, the cook must rustle up the stuffing – a byzantine combination of, among other things, breadcrumbs, veal, pork, butter, caraway seeds, poppy seeds, apples, orange, crushed tinned pineapple and preserved ginger – and sew it carefully into the bird, which is then browned in a very hot oven.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

I'm sold on Locatelli's Sicilian pastella, or batter, a mortar layer of egg, flour and water that goes on before the breadcrumbs and makes the shell crisp and robust, even when the arancini are left to cool, as they would traditionally be in their homeland.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

As it is heating, dip each rice ball into the batter to coat, then into the breadcrumbs, heaping them on top until it is well covered.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

You can make the crumbs extra crispy by drying them out in a warm oven for a few minutes or you could simply buy panko breadcrumbs.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

"I always felt he had kind of left a trail of breadcrumbs for me, to follow him into music," he says.

The Guardian - Music

Put the flour, the egg and panko breadcrumbs on to three separate plates.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Melt three anchovy fillets in oil with a clove or two of chopped garlic, then add breadcrumbs made from stale bread, and toast until golden.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

2 Mix the breadcrumbs and the coconut together in a large bowl.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

MizPepperPot, via GuardianWitness Serves 4-6 500g pork loin steaks, cut into goujons 4 tbsp jerk marinade 60g dried breadcrumbs 80g desiccated coconut 1 egg, beaten Oil, for frying 1 Marinate the meat in the marinade for at least one hour or overnight.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

In a technical context, use the term to describe a user interface pattern that shows the user's location in a site hierarchy.

Common error

Writers often mistakenly use the singular "breadcrumb" when referring to the entire navigation trail or the bulk ingredient; unless you are referring to one single particle of bread, use the plural form.

Linguistic Context

The word "breadcrumbs" functions as a plural noun. In the provided examples from Ludwig, it primarily serves as a direct object in culinary instructions or as a metaphorical descriptor for tracking systems. Ludwig AI confirms its status as a correct and standard English term.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Lifestyle & Culinary

25%

Technology & UX

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Legal & Investigative

3%

Literature

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "breadcrumbs" is a versatile noun with two distinct but related primary uses. Culturally, it is most recognized in a culinary context, where it describes the particles used to coat food, as seen in many Ludwig examples. In the digital age, it has evolved into a standard technical term for navigational trails in user interfaces. Metaphorically, it refers to any series of small clues left to guide someone back to a source. Ludwig AI notes that the term is grammatically standard and widely accepted across diverse genres, from cooking blogs to economic reports and technical manuals. Whether you are frying arancini or designing a website, using the plural form is the most accurate and common practice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

bread crumbs

uses the two-word spelling variant

navigation path

uses a technical term for the digital UI element

secondary navigation

uses professional UX terminology

panko

specifies a particular type of light, flaky Japanese breadcrumb

clues

replaces the metaphorical sense of leaving a trail

breading

refers to the coating process or material as a collective noun

trail of markers

emphasizes the sequence of signs left behind

digital traces

specifies electronic data left behind by users

coating

provides a more general culinary descriptor

remnants

describes small remaining pieces of something larger

FAQs

How do I use "breadcrumbs" in a culinary sentence?

You can describe the process of coating food, such as "Dip the chicken in the egg wash then roll it in <a href="/s/breadcrumbs" target="_blank" rel="alternative">breadcrumbs until fully covered".

What is the meaning of "electronic breadcrumbs"?

This refers to <a href="/s/digital+traces" target="_blank" rel="alternative">digital traces left by users online, often used by investigators to track activities back to a source.

What can I say instead of "breadcrumbs" in web design?

Common alternatives include "<a href="/s/navigation+path" target="_blank" rel="alternative">navigation path" or "<a href="/s/secondary+navigation" target="_blank" rel="alternative">secondary navigation".

Which is more common, "bread crumbs" or "breadcrumbs"?

The closed compound "breadcrumbs" is generally more common in modern English, especially when referring to the UI element or the culinary product as a single entity.