breadcrumb

Meanings

1. A tiny piece of bread, either one that falls from bread as it is cut or eaten, or one made deliberately by crumbling bread.
2. A single link in a chain indicating the hierarchical location of a directory, web page or similar, used as a navigation aid.
3. A fragment of data that serves to log the actions taken by a program, used in debugging.
4. One in a series of clues leading to a person or place.

1. To sprinkle breadcrumbs on to food, normally before cooking.
2. To add navigational breadcrumbs to (a web page or user interface).
3. To use clues or enticements to lead someone in the desired direction.

Etymology

From bread + crumb. The computing and figurative senses allude to the German fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, where Hansel leaves a trail of breadcrumbs to find the way back home when venturing into the woods.

Translations