breadcrumb

The name for a top navigation menu that uses a string of section names to identify where you are. For example, when searching for cell phone product reviews, you may see the following "breadcrumbs" just beneath the top level navigation:

> Home > Reviews > Cell Phones and Accessories > All Cell Phones

Likened to the practice of leaving breadcrumbs behind you when you go wandering through the wilderness, these top navigation links help you find your way back to where you started by following them in reverse order.

This expression is also used as a verb, as in "we can breadcrumb this section so we don't have to pile up content in the left nav."

And, as many great Internet words often do, this term has morphed into a completely new meaning. Breadcrumbing also means giving a person just enough attention so they will keep interest in you, but you don't have to fully invest in a relationship. For example, "Ugh, I think he's breadcrumbing me. He keeps texting me about hanging out but we still haven't."