# cruft

> English word · Noun · IPA /kɹʌft/

## Definitions
1. Anything that is old or of inferior quality.
2. Redundant, old or improperly written code, especially that which accumulates over time.
3. Meaningless or gratuitous content displayed on computer consoles in visual entertainment productions.

## Etymology
Circa 1959, MIT Tech Model Railroad Club. Unknown origin; possibly from Cruft Hall, built in 1915 as a gift from a donor named Harriet Otis Cruft. Cruft Hall was the radar laboratory of Harvard's physics department during the Second World War, which contained much old and unused technical equipment. Possibly blend of crust + fluff, both of which may form on old abandoned things, or influenced by crud.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/cruft