List of Abbreviations Used in This Dictionary

Coze, kōz, n. (Jane Austen) a cosy chat.

Cozen, kuz′n, v.t. to flatter: to cheat.—ns. Coz′enage, the practice of cheating: deceit; Coz′ener. [Perh. from Fr. cousiner, to claim kindred for one's own advantage, play the parasite—cousin, a cousin.]

Cozier, Cosier, kō′zi-ėr, n. a cobbler. [O. Fr. cousere—L. consuĕre, to sew together.]

Cozy. See Cosy.

Crab, krab, n. a popular name applied to any of the short-tailed division of decapod crustaceans: a sign in the zodiac: a portable winch: a sour-tempered person: the lowest throw at hazard—two aces.—adj. Crabb′ed, ill-natured: harsh: rough: difficult, perplexing.—adv. Crabb′edly.—n. Crabb′edness.—adj. Crab′-faced, having a sour, peevish countenance.—n. Crab′ite, a fossil crab or crayfish.—adj. Crab′-like, moving like a crab.—n. Crab′-louse, a crab-shaped louse infesting the hair of the pubis, &c.—n.pl. Crab's′-eyes, the scarlet seeds of an East Indian bead-tree: a concretion of carbonate of lime in the stomach of the cray-fish.—v.i. Crab′-sī′dle, to go sideways like a crab.—n.pl. Crab′-yaws, a name applied to the tumours of frambœsia on the soles and palms.—Catch a crab, in rowing, to sink the oar too deeply in the water: to miss the water altogether in making the stroke. [A.S. crabba; Ger. krabbe.]

Crab, krab, Crab-apple, krab′-ap-l, n. a wild bitter apple.—ns. Crab′-stick, a stick made out of the crab-tree; Crab′-tree, the tree that bears crab-apples.—adj. like a crab-tree, crooked. [Perh. conn. with Crabbed.]

Crab-oil, Crab-wood. See Carapa.

Crabro, krā′brō, n. the typical genus of Crabronidæ, a family of fossorial hymenopters: a hornet. [L.]

Crack, krak, v.i. to utter a sharp sudden sound: to split: to boast: to chat.—v.t. to produce a sudden noise: to break into chinks: to split: to break partially or wholly: to open (a bottle).—n. a sudden sharp splitting sound: a chink: a flaw: a blow, a smack: friendly chat: (slang) housebreaking: a craze: one who has a craze: a pert boy.—adj. (coll.) excellent.—n. Crack′-brain, a crazy person.—adjs. Crack′-brained; Cracked, rent: damaged: crazy.—ns. Crack′er, one who or that which cracks: a boaster, a lie: the pin-tail duck: (U.S.) a thin crisp biscuit: a bonbon, or a small firework, exploding when pulled asunder: (U.S.) a poor white; Crack′-halt′er, Crack′-hemp (Shak.), Crack′-rope, one likely to be hanged.—adj. Crack′-jaw, of a word, hard to pronounce.—ns. Cracks′man, a burglar; Crack′-tryst, one who breaks an engagement.—Crack credit, to destroy one's credit; Crack tryst, to break an engagement; Crack up, to praise. [A.S. cracian, to crack; cf. Dut. kraken, Gael. crac.]

Crack, krak, n. (Scot.) a moment, an instant.

Crackle, krak′l, v.i. to give out slight but frequent cracks.—n. the giving out of slight cracks.—ns. Crack′lin, a kind of china-ware, purposely cracked in the kiln as an ornament; Crack′ling, the rind of roast pork: (pl.) skinny parts of suet without tallow: three stripes of velvet worn on the sleeves of students at St John's College, Cambridge.—adj. Crack′ly, brittle.—n. Crack′nel, a light, brittle biscuit: (pl.) pieces of fat pork fried crisp.

Cracovian, kra-kō′vi-an, adj. pertaining to Cracow.—ns. Cracovienne′, a graceful Polish dance, resembling the mazourka: the music for such; Crac′owe, a long-toed boot fashionable under Richard II.

Cradle, krā′dl, n. a bed or crib in which children are rocked: (fig.) infancy: the place where one is born and brought up: a frame in which anything is imbedded: a case for a broken limb: a frame under a ship for launching it: a box on rockers for washing auriferous dirt.—v.t. to lay or rock in a cradle: to nurture.—adj. Crā′dled, laid in a cradle.—ns. Crā′dle-scythe, a broad scythe used in a cradle for cutting grain; Crā′dle-walk, an avenue arched over with trees; Crā′dling.—From the cradle, from birth, from the first. [A.S. cradol; ety. obscure.]

Craft, kraft, n. cunning: artifice: dexterity: art: trade: occupation: small ships.—v.i. to exercise one's craft (Shak., Cor., IV. vi. 118).—adv. Craft′ily.—n. Craft′iness.—adj. Craft′less, free from craft.—ns. Crafts′man, one engaged in a craft; Crafts′manship, Craft′manship; Crafts′master, one skilled in a craft.—adj. Craft′y, having skill: cunning: deceitful. [A.S. cræft; Ger. kraft, power.]

Crag, krag, n. a rough steep rock or point: (geol.) a bed of gravel mixed with shells.—adjs. Crag′ged, Crag′gy, full of crags or broken rocks: rough: rugged.—ns. Crag′gedness, Crag′giness; Crags′man, one skilled in climbing rocks. [W. craig, a rock, car-eg, a stone; Gael. creag, carraig.]

Crag, Cragge, krag, n. the neck.—Scotch forms, Craig, Craig′ie. [Cf. Dut. kraag, Ger. kragen, the neck.]

Crake, krāk, v.i. to utter a cry like a crow, &c.—n. Crake′-berr′y, the crow-berry.

Crake, krāk, n. a crow, raven, corncrake: (obs.) a boast. [See Corncrake.]

Cram, kram, v.t. to press close: to stuff: to fill to superfluity: (slang) to make believe false or exaggerated tales: to teach for a special examination, only giving instruction useful for passing that examination.—v.i. to eat greedily: to get up a subject by cram:—pr.p. cram′ming; pa.p. crammed.—n. a crush: (slang) a lie: information that has been crammed: the system of cramming.—adjs. Cram′-full; Cram′mable; Crammed.—n. Cram′mer, one who prepares students for examination by cramming them. [A.S. crammian; Ice. kremja, to squeeze; Dan. kramme, to crumple.]

Crambo, kram′bo, n. a game in which one gives a word to which another finds a rhyme: rime.—ns. Cram′boclink, -jingle, riming. [Prob. from L. crambe repetita, cabbage served up again.]

Crambus, kram′bus, n. a genus of pyralid moths, the veneers or grass-moths—family Crambidæ, subfamily Crambinæ. [Gr. krambos, dry.]

Crame, krām, n. (Scot.) a booth for selling goods.

Cramoisy, kram′oiz-i, Cramesy, kram′ez-i, adj. and n. crimson. [See Crimson.]

Cramp, kramp, n. an involuntary and painful contraction of a voluntary muscle or group of muscles: restraint: a piece of iron bent at the ends, for holding together wood, stone, &c.: a tool used by carpenters and others, having a movable part which can be screwed tight so as to press things together.—adj. hard to make out (used of handwriting): cramped: narrow.—v.t. to affect with spasms: to confine: to hinder: to fasten with a cramp-iron.—ns. Cramp′bark, the popular American name of the medicinal Viburnum Oxycoccus; Cramp′-bone, the patella of the sheep, an old charm for cramp; Cramp′-fish, the electric ray or torpedo; Cramp′-ī′ron, a piece of metal bent at both ends for binding things together; Cramp′on, a grappling-iron: a pointed plate for the foot in hill-climbing; Cramp′-ring, a ring formerly blessed by the sovereign on Good-Friday against cramp and the falling sickness.—adj. Cramp′y, affected or diseased with cramp: producing cramp.—Bather's cramp, the popular name for paralysis attacking a person while bathing; Writer's cramp, or Scrivener's palsy, a common disease affecting those in the habit of constant writing, the muscles refusing to obey only on attempting to write. [O. Fr. crampe; cf. Dut. kramp, Ger. krampf.]

Cran, kran, n. a measure of capacity in Scotland for herrings when just taken out of the net. It amounts to 37½ imperial gallons, and comprises about 750 herrings on an average.—Coup the cran (Scot.), to be upset. [Prob. from Gael. crann, a measure.]

Cranberry, kran′ber-i, n. a genus of small evergreen shrubs growing in peaty bogs and marshy grounds: the berry much used for tarts. [For crane-berry; a late word; origin obscure; cf. Ger. kranbeere or kranich-beere.]

Cranch. Same as Craunch.

Crane, krān, n. a large wading bird, with long legs, neck, and bill: a bent pipe for drawing liquor out of a cask: a machine for raising heavy weights—both named from their likeness to the bird.—v.t. to raise with a crane.—v.i. to stretch out the neck: to pull up before a jump.—ns. Cran′age, the use of a crane: the price paid for the use of it; Crane′-fly, a genus of dipterous insects, nearly allied to the gnats, with very long legs.—adj. Crane′-necked.—n. Crane's′-bill, the Geranium, from a lengthened appendage of the seed-vessel. [A.S. cran; Ger. kranich, W. garan.]

Crane. Same as Cranium.

Cranium, krā′ni-um, n. the skull: the bones enclosing the brain.—adj. Crā′nial, pertaining to the cranium.—n. Craniog′nomy, cranial physiognomy.—adj. Craniolog′ical.—ns. Craniol′ogist, one skilled in craniology; Craniol′ogy, the study of skulls: phrenology; Craniom′eter, an instrument for measuring the skull; Craniom′etry, the measurement of skulls; Craninos′copist, a phrenologist; Cranios′copy, phrenology; Craniot′omy (obstetrics), the act of breaking down the head of the fœtus. [Low L. cranium—Gr. kranion, from karē, the head.]

Crank, krangk, n. a crook or bend: a conceit in speech: a whim: (mach.) a lever or arm on a shaft, driven by hand or by a connecting-rod, its object being to convert reciprocating motion into rotary motion.—v.i. to move in a zizag manner.—v.t. to shape like a crank: to provide with a crank.—adj. crooked: crabbed: loose or slack.—adv. Crank′ily.—n. Crank′iness.—adj. Crank′y, crooked: infirm: full of whims: cross. [M. E. kranke—A.S. crincan, to yield; cf. Ger. krank.]

Crank, krangk, adj. brisk: merry. [Origin unknown.]

Crank, krangk, Crank-sided, krangk-sī′ded, adj. (naut.) liable to be upset—n. Crank′ness, liability to be upset. [Ety. uncertain.]

Crankle, krangk′l, Crinkle, kringk′l, n. a turn, winding, or wrinkle, an angular protuberance.—v.t. to bend: to twist.

Crannog, kran′og, n. the name given in Scotland and Ireland to a fortified island (partly natural and partly artificial) in a lake, once used as a dwelling-place and place of refuge. [Gael. crann, a tree.]

Cranny, kran′i, n. a rent: a chink: a secret place.—v.i. to enter crannies.—adj. Crann′ied, having crannies, rents, or fissures. [Fr. cran, a notch.]

Cranreuch, kran′ruh, n. (Scot.) hoar-frost. [Gael.]

Crants, krantz, n. (Shak.) the garland carried before the bier of a maiden and hung over her grave. [From Ger. kranz, a wreath, a garland.]

Crape, krāp, n. a thin silk fabric, tightly twisted, without removing the natural gum—usually dyed black, used for mournings.—adj. made of crape.—v.t. to clothe with crape: to frizzle (hair).—adj. Crap′y. [O. Fr. crespe (Fr. crêpe)—L. crispus, crisp.]

Crappit-head, krap′it-hed, n. a haddock's head stuffed with a compound of oatmeal, suet, onions, and pepper. [Crappit, from a Scotch word, crap, to cram.]

Crapulence, krap′ū-lens, n. sickness caused by an overdose of drink.—adjs. Crap′ulous, Crap′ulent. [Fr. crapule—L. crapula, intoxication.]

Crare, Crayer, krār, n. a trading vessel. [O. Fr. craier—Late L. craiera; origin dub.]

Crase. Obsolete form of Craze.

Crash, krash, n. a noise as of things breaking or being crushed by falling; the shock of two bodies meeting: the failure of a commercial undertaking.—v.i. to fall to pieces with a loud noise: to move with such a noise.—v.t. to dash in pieces. [From the sound.]

Crash, krash, n. a coarse strong linen.

Crasis, krā′sis, n. the mixture of different elements in the constitution of the body: temperament: (gram.) the mingling or contraction of two vowels into one long vowel, or into a diphthong. [Gr. krasis—kerannynai, to mix.]

Crass, kras, adj. gross: thick: dense: stupid.—ns. Crassament′um, the thick part of coagulated blood: the clot; Crass′itude, coarseness: density: stupidity.—adv. Crass′ly.—n. Crass′ness.—n.pl. Crassulā′ceæ, an order of herbaceous or shrubby, succulent plants—including the Stone-crop and House-leek. [O. Fr. cras—L. crassus.]

Cratægus, kra-tē′gus, n. a genus of thorny shrubs, of the rose family, in north temperate regions. [Gr.]

Cratch, krach, n. a crib to hold hay for cattle, a manger.—n.pl. Cratches, a swelling on a horse's pastern, under the fetlock. [Fr. crèche, a manger; from a Teut. root, whence also crib.]

Crate, krāt, n. a wicker-work case for packing crockery in, or for carrying fruit. [L. cratis, a hurdle. See Cradle.]

Crater, krāt′ėr, n. the bowl-shaped mouth of a volcano.—adjs. Crat′eriform, or Crater′iform, shaped like a crater; Crat′erous. [L.,—Gr. kratēr, a large bowl for mixing wine, from kerannynai, to mix.]

Craunch, kranch. A form of Crunch.

Cravat, kra-vat′, n. a kind of neckcloth worn chiefly by men.—v.t. to dress in a cravat.—adj. Cravat′ted, wearing a cravat. [Fr. cravate—introduced in 1636 from the Cravates or Croatians.]

Crave, krāv, v.t. to beg earnestly: to beseech: to demand or require: to long for.—ns. Crav′er, one who craves: a beggar; Crav′ing, desire: longing. [A.S. crafian, to crave; Ice. krefja.]

Craven, krāv′n, n. a coward: a spiritless fellow.—adj. cowardly: spiritless.—v.t. to render spiritless.—adv. Crav′enly.—n. Crav′enness.—To cry craven, to surrender. [M. E. cravant—O. Fr. participle cravanté, corresponding to L. crepant-em, crepāre, to rattle, to break; some explain M. E. cravant as O. Fr. creant, as in recreant.]

Craw, kraw, n. the crop, throat, or first stomach of fowls: the stomach of animals generally. [M. E. crawe; not found in A.S.; cf. Dut. kraag, neck.]

Crawfish. See Crayfish.

Crawl, krawl, v.i. to move slowly along the ground, as a worm: to creep: to move feebly, stealthily, or sneakingly: to be covered with crawling things.—n. the act of crawling.—ns. Crawl′er, one who or that which crawls: a reptile; Crawl′ing.—adv. Crawl′y (coll.), with a creepy feeling. [Scand.; Ice. krafla, Dan. kravle; Ger. krabbeln, to creep.]

Crawl, krawl, n. a pen for keeping fish: a kraal.

Crax, kraks, n. the typical genus of birds of family Cracidæ.

Crayfish, krā′fish, Crawfish, kraw′fish, n. a large fresh-water crustacean in the long-tailed division of the order Decapoda: the small spiny lobster. [M. E. crevice—O. Fr. crevice (Fr. écrevisse, a crayfish)—Old High Ger. krebiz, a Crab.]

Crayon, krā′on, n. a pencil made of chalk or pipeclay, variously coloured, used for drawing: a drawing done with crayons.—v.t. to draw with a crayon.—In crayons, of a picture, made by crayons. [Fr. crayon—craie, chalk, from L. creta, chalk.]

Craze, krāz, v.t. to weaken: to derange (applied to the intellect): (obs.) to break.—v.i. to become mad.—n. a crack or flaw: insanity.—adj. Crazed, deranged.—adv. Craz′ily.—ns. Craz′iness; Craz′ing-mill, a mill for crushing tin-ore.—adj. Craz′y, frail: insane: demented. [Scand.; Sw. krasa, Dan. krase, to crackle; whence also Fr. écraser, to crush.]

Creagh, Creach, kreh, n. a foray, raid: booty. [Gael.]

Creak, krēk, v.i. to make a sharp, grating sound, as of a hinge, &c.—n. a grating noise, as of an unoiled hinge.—adv. Creak′ily.—adj. Creak′y. [From the sound, like crake and croak.]

Cream, krēm, n. the oily substance which forms on milk, yielding butter when churned: the best part of anything: any cream-like preparation, as cold cream for the skin, &c., or any dish largely made of cream, or like cream, as chocolate-cream, ice-cream, whipped-cream, &c.—v.t. to take off the cream.—v.i. to gather or form cream.—ns. Cream′-cake, a kind of cake filled with custard made of cream, &c.; Cream′-cheese, cheese made of cream.—adj. Cream′-col′oured, of the colour of cream, light yellow.—n. Cream′ery, an establishment where butter and cheese are made from the milk supplied by a number of producers: a shop for milk, butter, &c.—adj. Cream′-faced, pale-faced.—ns. Cream′-fruit, the fruit of a creeping West African plant of the dogbane family, yielding a cream-like juice; Cream′iness.—adj. Cream′-laid, of a cream-colour and laid, or bearing linear water-lines as if laid.—ns. Cream′-nut, the Brazil nut; Cream′-slice, a wooden blade for skimming cream from milk.—adjs. Cream′-wove, woven of a cream-colour; Cream′y, full of or like cream: gathering like cream.—Cream of tartar, a white crystalline compound made by purifying argol, bitartrate of potash. [O. Fr. cresme, creme—L. chrisma.]

Creance, krē′ans, n. the cord which secures the hawk while being trained. [Fr.]

Creant, krē′ant, adj. creating: formative.

Crease, krēs, n. a mark made by folding or doubling anything: (cricket) a line indicating the boundaries of a particular space, as the position of a batter and bowler.—v.t. to make creases in anything.—v.i. to become creased.—adj. Creas′y, full of creases. [Prob. Celt., as Bret. krīz, &c.]

Crease. See Creese.

Creasote. See Creosote.

Create, krē-āt′, v.t. to bring into being or form out of nothing: to beget: to form: to invest with a new form, office, or character: to produce.—adj. Creāt′able.—n. Creā′tion, the act of creating, esp. the universe: that which is created, the world, the universe.—adj. Creā′tional.—ns. Creā′tionism, the theory of special creation, opp. to Evolutionism: the theory that God immediately creates a soul for every human being born—opp. to Traducianism; Creā′tionist.—adj. Creā′tive, having power to create: that creates.—adv. Creā′tively.—ns. Creā′tiveness; Creā′tor, he who creates: a maker:—fem. Creā′trix, Creā′tress; Creā′torship.—adjs. Crea′tural, Crea′turely, pertaining to a creature or thing created.—ns. Creature (krē′tūr), whatever has been created, animate or inanimate, esp. every animated being, an animal, a man: a term of contempt or of endearment: a dependent, instrument, or puppet; Crea′tureship.—The Creator, the Supreme Being, God.—Creature comforts, material comforts, food, &c.: liquor, esp. whisky. [L. creāre, -ātum; Gr. krain-ein, to fulfil.]

Creatine, krē′a-tin, n. a constant and characteristic constituent of the striped muscle of vertebrates—also Kre′atine.—adj. Creat′ic, relating to flesh.—n. Cre′atinine, dehydrated form, a constant constituent of urine, found also in fish muscles. [Gr. kreas, kreatos, flesh.]

Crèche, kresh, n. a sort of public nursery for children, while their mothers are at work. [Fr.]

Credence, krē′dens, n. belief: trust: the small table beside the altar on which the bread and wine are placed before being consecrated.—n. Creden′dum, a thing to be believed, an act of faith:—pl. Credenda.—adjs. Crē′dent, easy of belief; Creden′tial, giving a title to belief or credit.—n. that which entitles to credit or confidence: (pl.) esp. the letters by which one claims confidence or authority among strangers.—ns. Credibil′ity, Cred′ibleness.—adj. Credible (kred′-), that may be believed.—adv. Cred′ibly.—n. Cred′it, belief: esteem: reputation: honour: good character: sale on trust: time allowed for payment: the side of an account on which payments received are entered: a sum placed at a person's disposal in a bank on which he may draw to its amount.—v.t. to believe: to trust: to sell or lend to on trust: to enter on the credit side of an account: to set to the credit of.—adj. Cred′itable, trustworthy: bringing credit or honour.—n. Cred′itableness.—adv. Cred′itably.—ns. Cred′itor, one to whom a debt is due:—fem. Cred′itrix; Crē′do, the Creed, or a musical setting of it for church services; Credū′lity, credulousness: disposition to believe on insufficient evidence.—adj. Cred′ulous, easy of belief: apt to believe without sufficient evidence: unsuspecting.—adv. Cred′ulously.—ns. Cred′ulousness; Creed, a summary of articles of religious belief, esp. those called the Apostles', Nicene, and Athanasian: any system of belief. [Fr.,—Low L. credentia—L. credent-, believing, pr.p. of credĕre.]

Creek, krēk, n. a small inlet or bay of the sea, or the tidal estuary of a river: any turn or winding: in America and Australia, a small river.—adj. Creek′y, full of creeks: winding. [Prob. Scand., Ice. kriki, a nook; cf. Dut. kreek, a bay.]

Creel, krēl, n. a basket, esp. an angler's basket. [Prob. Celt; cf. Old Ir. criol, a chest.]

Creep, krēp, v.i. to move on the belly, like a snake: to move slowly: to grow along the ground or on supports, as a vine: to fawn or cringe: to have the physical sensation of something creeping over or under the skin: to shudder at from fear or repugnance: to drag with a creeper, as a river-bottom:—pr.p. creep′ing; pa.t. and pa.p. crept.—ns. Creep′er, a creeping plant: a genus of small climbing birds; Creep′-hole, a hole into which to creep: a subterfuge; Creep′ie, a low stool, the old Scotch stool of repentance.—adv. Creep′ingly.—adj. Creep′y. [A.S. creópan; Dut. kruipen.]

Creese, Crease, krēs, n. a Malay dagger with a wavy blade—also Kris.—v.t. to stab with a creese.

Creesh, krēsh, v.t. (Scot.) to grease.—n. grease.—adj. Creesh′y. [O. Fr. craisse—L. crassus, fat.]

Cremaillere, kre-mal-yār′, n. a line of fortification built zigzag to give wider range in firing. [Fr.]

Cremation, krem-ā′shun, n. act of burning, esp. of the dead.—v.t. Cremate′.—ns. Cremā′tionist, one who advocates cremation; Cremat′or, Crematōr′ium, Crem′atory, a place where cremation is done.—adj. Crematōr′ial. [L.,—cremāre, to burn.]

Cremona, krem-ō′na, n. a superior kind of violin made at Cremona in Italy.—adj. Cremonese′.

Cremor, krē′mor, n. thick juice.

Cremosin, krem′ō-zin, n. crimson (Spens.).

Crenate, -d, krē′nāt, -ed, adj. (bot.) having the edge notched.—ns. Crē′na, a furrow or notch; Crenā′tion; Cren′ature.—adjs. Cren′ulate, -d, finely notched or crenate. [L. crena, a notch.]

Crenel, kren′el, Crenelle, kre-nel′, n. (archit.) an opening in a parapet for shooting through: a battlement—dim. Cren′elet.—n. Crenaux (krē′nō), crenellations or loopholes in a fortress.—v.t. Cren′ellate.—adjs. Crenellāt′ed, furnished with battlements: indented.—n. Crenellā′tion.—adjs. Crenelle′ (her.), embattled; Crenelled′, having embrasures. [Fr.,—Low L. crena, a notch.]

Creole, krē′ōl, n. and adj. strictly applied in the former Spanish, French, and Portuguese colonies of America, Africa, and the East Indies to natives of pure European blood (sangre azul), in opposition to immigrants themselves born in Europe, or to the offspring of mixed blood, as mulattoes, quadroons, Eurasians, &c.: (U.S.) applied only to the native French stock in Louisiana: a negro born in the West Indies—earlier Creō′lian. [Fr. créole—Sp. criollo, contr. of criadillo, 'a little nursling,' dim. of criado—criar, lit. to create, also to bring up, to nurse—L. creāre.]

Creophagous, krē-of′a-gus, adj. flesh-eating. [Gr. kreas, flesh, phagein, to eat.]

Creosote, krē′o-sōt, Creasote, krē′a-sōt, n. an oily, colourless liquid obtained from the tar produced by the destructive distillation of wood. [Gr. kreas, flesh, sōtēr, saviour—sōz-ein, to save.]

Crepance, krē′pans, n. a wound on a horse's hind ankle-joint, caused by striking with the shoe of the other hind-foot.—Also Crē′pane. [L. crepāre, to break.]

Crêpe, krāp, v.t. to frizz, as hair. [See Crape.]

Crepitate, krep′i-tāt, v.i. to crackle, snap.—adj. Crep′itant, crackling.—n. Crepitā′tion, the characteristic sound detected in the lungs by auscultation.—adj. Crep′itātive.—n. Crep′itus. [L. crepitāre, -ātum, freq. of crepāre, to crack, rattle.]

Crepon, krep′on, n. a woollen or silk crapy stuff. [Fr.]

Crept, krept, pa.t. and pa.p. of Creep.

Crepuscular, kre-pus′kū-lar, adj. of or pertaining to twilight—also Crepus′culous.—ns. Crepus′cule, Crepus′cle, twilight. [L. crepusculum—creper, dusky, obscure.]

Crescendo, kres-en′dō, adv. (mus.) gradually increasing in force or loudness.—n. a passage marked by this.—Often cres., cresc., or Crescendo symbol.

Crescent, kres′ent, adj. increasing: shaped like the new or old moon.—n. the moon as she increases towards half-moon: a figure like the crescent moon, as that on the Turkish standard: the standard itself: the Turkish power: a range of buildings in curved form.—n. Cres′centade, a religious war for Islam.—adjs. Cres′cented, Crescent′ic, formed like a crescent; Cres′cive (Shak.), increasing. [L. crescens, crescent-is, pr.p. of crescĕre, to grow.]

Cress, kres, n. the name of several species of plants like the water-cress, which grow in moist places, and have pungent leaves used as salads and medicinally.—adj. Cress′y, abounding in cresses. [A.S. cresse, cerse; cf. Dut. kers, Ger. kresse.]

Cresset, kres′et, n. an iron basket, jar, or open lamp filled with combustible material, placed on a beacon, lighthouse, wharf, &c.: a torch generally. [O. Fr. cresset, crasset (Fr. creuset)—Old Dut. kruysel, a hanging lamp.]

Crest, krest, n. the comb or tuft on the head of a cock and other birds: the summit of anything, as a roof-ridge, hill, wave: the mane of a horse, &c.: (anat.) a ridge along the surface of a bone: a plume of feathers or other ornament on the top of a helmet: (her.) an accessory figure originally surmounting the helmet, placed on a wreath, &c., also used separately as a personal cognisance on plate, &c.—v.t. to furnish with, or serve for, a crest, to surmount.—p.adj. Crest′ed, having a crest: (bot.) having an elevated appendage like a crest.—adjs. Crest′fallen, dejected: heartless; Crest′less, without a crest: not of high birth.—ns. Crest′-marine′, rock samphire; Crestol′atry, toadyism. [O. Fr. creste (mod. crête)—L. crista.]

Cretaceous, krē-tā′shus, adj. composed of or like chalk.—adj. Crē′tāted, rubbed with chalk.—n. Cretifac′tion.—v.i. Crē′tify, to become impregnated with salts of lime. [L. cretaceus, from creta, chalk.]

Cretic, krē′tik, adj. and n. Cretan, belonging to Crete: a metrical foot consisting of one short syllable between two long.—n. Crē′tism, a lie.

Cretinism, krē′tin-izm, n. a state of defective mental development, associated with bodily deformity or arrested growth, occurring esp. in connection with enlargement of the thyroid gland or goitre in the lower Alpine valleys.—n. Crē′tin, one affected with cretinism.—adjs. Crē′tinous, Crē′tinised. [Fr. crétin—Swiss crestin—L. christian-us, prob. implying that, after all, they are human, or that they are (from their fatuousness) incapable of sin—cf. the frequent use of innocent.]

Cretonne, kret-on′, or kret′on, n. a strong printed cotton fabric used for curtains or for covering furniture. [Fr., prob. from Creton in Normandy.]

Cretose, krē′tōs, adj. chalky.

Creutzer. Same as Kreutzer.

Creux, krė, n. the reverse of relief in sculpture, intaglio. [Fr.]

Crevasse, krev-as′, n. a crack or split, esp. applied to a cleft in a glacier: (U.S.) a breach in a canal or river bank.—v.t. to fissure with crevasses. [Fr.]

Crevet, krev′et, n. a variant of Cruet, a goldsmith's melting-pot.

Crevice, krev′is, n. a crack or rent: a narrow opening. [O. Fr. crevace—L. L.,—L. crepāre, to creak.]

Crew, krōō, n. a company, squad, or gang, often in a bad or contemptuous sense: a ship's company. [O. Fr. creue, increase—croistre, to grow.]

Crew, krōō, pa.t. of Crow.

Crewe, krōō, n. (Spens.) a cruse. [O. Fr. crue.]

Crewel, krōō′el, n. a fine worsted yarn used for embroidery and tapestry: work in crewels.—v.t. to work in such.—ns. Crew′elist; Crew′ellery. [Orig. a monosyllable, crule, crewle; ety. dub.]

Crewels, krōō′elz, n.pl. (Scot.) the king's evil, scrofula. [Fr. ēcrouelles.]

Crib, krib, n. the rack or manger of a stable: a stall for oxen: a child's bed; a small cottage or hovel, a confined place: (coll.) a translation of a classic baldly literal, for lazy schoolboys.—v.t. to put away in a crib, confine: to pilfer: to plagiarise:—pr.p. crib′bing; pa.p. cribbed.—n. Crib′-bit′ing, a vicious habit of horses, consisting in biting the manger. [A.S. crib; Ger. krippe.]

Cribbage, krib′āj, n. a game at cards played by two, three, or four persons, so called from crib, the name given to certain cards laid aside from his hand by each player, and which belong to the dealer.—n. Cribb′age-board, a board with holes for keeping by means of pegs the score at cribbage.

Cribble, krib′l, n. a coarse screen or sieve used for sand, gravel, or corn: coarse flour or meal.—v.t. to sift or riddle.—adjs. Crib′rāte, Crib′rose, perforated like a sieve.—n. Cribrā′tion, act of sifting.—adj. Crib′riform, shaped like a sieve. [L. cribellum, dim. of cribrum, a sieve.]

Cribellum, kri-bel′um, n. an accessory spinning-organ of certain spiders—also Cribrell′um:—pl. Cribell′a.

Criblé, krē-blā, adj. punctured like a sieve, dotted. [Fr.]

Cricetus, kri-sē′tus, n. the typical genus of Cricetinæ, a sub-family of muroid rodents with cheek-pouches.

Crick, krik, n. a spasm or cramp of the muscles, esp. of the neck. [Prob. onomatopœic.]

Cricket, krik′et, n. a saltatory, orthopterous insect, allied to grasshoppers and locusts. [O. Fr. criquet; cf. Dut. krekel, Ger. kreckel.]

Cricket, krik′et, n. an outdoor game played with bats, a ball, and wickets, between two sides of eleven each.—v.i. to play at cricket.—ns. Crick′eter, one who plays at cricket; Crick′et-match, a match at cricket. [Fr. criquet; further ety. dub. Not the A.S. crycc, a stick.]

Cricket, krik′et, n. (Scot.) a low stool.

Cricoid, krī′koid, adj. (anat.) ring-shaped. [Gr. krikos, a ring, and eidos, form.]

Cried, krīd, pa.t. and pa.p. of Cry.—n. Crī′er, one who cries or proclaims, esp. an officer whose duty is to make public proclamations.—Cried down, or Decried, denounced, belittled; Cried up, extolled.

Crime, krīm, n. a violation of law: an act punishable by law: offence: sin.—adjs. Crime′ful, criminal; Crime′less, without crime, innocent; Criminal (krim′-), relating to crime: guilty of crime: violating laws.—n. one guilty of crime.—ns. Crim′inalist, one versed in criminal law; Criminal′ity, guiltiness.—adv. Crim′inally.—v.t. Crim′ināte, to accuse.—n. Criminā′tion, act of criminating: accusation.—adjs. Crim′inātive, Crim′inātory, involving crimination or accusation.—ns. Criminol′ogist; Criminol′ogy, that branch of anthropology which treats of crime and criminals.—adj. Crim′inous, criminal—now chiefly in the phrase 'a criminous clerk.'—n. Crim′inousness.—Criminal conversation, often Crim. con., adultery. [Fr.,—L. crimen.]

Crimine, Crimini, krim′i-ne, interj. an ejaculation of surprise or impatience.

Crimp, krimp, adj. made crisp or brittle.—v.t. to wrinkle: to plait: to make crisp: to seize or decoy sailors or soldiers.—n. one who presses or decoys.—ns. Crimp′age, act of crimping; Crimp′er, one who or that which crimps or corrugates; Crimp′ing-ī′ron, an iron instrument used for crimping hair; Crimp′ing-machine′, a machine for forming crimps or plaits on ruffles.—v.t. Crimp′le, to contract or draw together: to plait: to curl. [A dim. of cramp; Dut. krimpen, to shrink.]

Crimson, krim′zn, n. a deep red colour, tinged with blue: red in general.—adj. deep red.—v.t. to dye crimson.—v.i. to become crimson: to blush. [M. E. crimosin—O. Fr. cramoisin; from Ar. qermazi, the cochineal insect, from which it is made.]

Crinal, krī′nal, adj. of or belonging to the hair.—adjs. Crin′ate, -d, having hair; Crinicul′tural, relating to the culture or growth of the hair; Crinig′erous, hairy; Crī′nite, hairy: (bot.) resembling a tuft of hair. [L. crinalis—crinis, the hair.]

Crine, krīn, v.i. (Scot.) to shrink or shrivel. [Gael. crìon, dry.]

Cringe, krinj, v.i. to bend or crouch with servility: to submit: to fawn: to flatter with mean servility.—n. a servile obeisance.—ns. Cringe′ling, Crin′ger, one who cringes.—adv. Crin′gingly, in an obsequious manner. [Related to A.S. crincan, cringan, to shrink. Cf. Crank, weak.]

Cringle, kring′gl, n. a small piece of rope worked into the bolt-rope of a sail, and containing a metal ring or thimble. [Teut.; cf. Ger. kringel.]

Crinite. See Crinal, Crinoidea.

Crinkle, krink′l, v.t. to twist, wrinkle, crimp.—v.i. to wrinkle up, curl.—n. a wrinkle.—adj. Crink′ly, wrinkly.—n. and adj. Crink′um-crank′um, a word applied familiarly to things intricate or crooked.

Crinoidea, krī-noid′ē-a, n.pl. a class of Echinodermata, sometimes called feather-stars or sea-lilies, and well known in fossil forms as encrinites or stone-lilies.—n. Cri′nite, a fossil crinoid.—adjs. and ns. Crinoid′, Crinoid′ean.—adj. Crinoid′al. [Gr. krinon, a lily, and eidos, form.]

Crinoline, krin′o-lin, n. a name originally given by the French modistes to a stiff fabric of horse-hair, employed to distend women's attire: a hooped petticoat or skirt made to project all round by means of steel-wire: a netting round ships as a guard against torpedoes.—n. Crin′olette, a small crinoline causing the dress to project behind only—akin to the bustle and dress-improver.—adj. Crin′olined. [Fr., crin—L. crinis, hair, and lin—L. linum, flax.]

Crinose, krī′nōs, adj. hairy. [L. crinis, hair.]

Crio-sphinx, krī′ō-sfingks, n. a ram-headed sphinx. [Gr. krios, a ram, sphingx, a sphinx.]

Cripple, krip′l, n. a lame person.—adj. lame.—v.t. to make lame: to lame: disable, impair the efficiency of.—ns. Cripp′ledom; Cripp′ling, a prop set up as a support against the side of a building. [A.S. crypel; conn. with Creep.]

Crisis, krī′sis, n. point or time for deciding anything, the decisive moment or turning-point:—pl. Crises (krī′sēz). [Gr. krisis, from krinein, to separate.]

Crisp, krisp, adj. curling closely: having a wavy surface: so dry as to be crumbled easily: brittle, or short, as 'crisp cakes,' &c.: fresh and bracing, as 'crisp air:' firm, the opposite of limp or flabby, as a 'crisp style' in writing.—v.t. to curl or twist: to make crisp or wavy.—adjs. Cris′pāte, -d, having a crisped or wavy appearance.—ns. Crispā′tion; Crisp′ature, a curling; Crisp′er, one who or that which crisps; Crisp′ing-ī′ron, -pin, a curling-iron.—adv. Crisp′ly.—n. Crisp′ness.—adj. Crisp′y. [A.S.,—L. crispus.]

Crispin, kris′pin, n. a shoemaker, from Crispin of Soissons, the patron saint of shoemakers, martyred 25th October 287.

Criss-cross, kris′-kros, n. a mark formed by two lines in the form of a cross, as the signature of a person unable to write his name: a child's game played on a slate, the lines being drawn in the form of a cross.—v.i. to intersect frequently.

Cristate, kris′tāt, adj. crested.—n. Cris′ta, a crest.—adjs. Cris′tiform; Cristim′anous, having crested claws.

Criterion, krī-tē′ri-on, n. a means or standard of judging: a test: a rule, standard, or canon:—pl. Critē′ria. [Gr., from kritēs, a judge.]

Crith, krith, n. a chemical unit of mass for gases, the mass of one litre of hydrogen. [Gr. krithē, barley.]

Crithomancy, krith′o-man-si, n. divination by the meal strewed over the victims of sacrifice. [Gr. krithē, barley, and manteia, divination.]

Critic, krit′ik, n. one skilled in estimating the quality of literary or artistic work: a professional reviewer: one skilled in textual or biblical criticism, literature, the fine arts, &c.: a fault-finder.—adj. Crit′ical, relating to criticism: discriminating: captious: decisive.—adv. Crit′ically.—ns. Crit′icalness, Critical′ity; Crit′icaster, Crit′ickin, a petty critic.—adj. Criticīs′able.—v.t. Crit′icise, to pass judgment on: to censure.—ns. Crit′icism, the art of judging, esp. in literature or the fine arts: a critical judgment or observation; Critique (kri-tēk′), a critical examination of any production: a review.—Critical angle, the least angle of incidence at which a ray is totally reflected; Critical philosophy, that of Kant as based on a critical examination of the faculty of knowledge; Critical point, that temperature below which a substance may, and above which it cannot, be liquefied by pressure alone.—Higher or Historical criticism, as distinguished from Textual or Verbal criticism, the inquiry into the composition, date, and authenticity of the books of Scripture, from historical and literary considerations. [Gr. kritikos—krinein, to judge.]

Croak, krōk, v.i. to utter a low hoarse sound, as a frog or raven: to grumble: to forebode evil: to utter croakingly: (slang) to die.—n. the sound of a frog or raven.—n. Croak′er.—adv. Croak′ily.—n. Croak′ing.—adj. Croak′y. [From the sound. Cf. Crake, Crow.]

Croat, krō′at, n. a native of Croatia, esp. one serving as a soldier in the Austrian army.

Croceous, krō′shi-us, adj. saffron-coloured.

Croche, krō′she, n. one of the buds or knobs at the top of a deer's horn. [Fr.]

Crochet, krō′shā, n. a kind of handiwork in fancy worsted, cotton, or silk—an extensive system of looping, by means of a small hook.—v.i. to do such work. [Fr. crochet—croche, croc, a hook.]

Crocidolite, kro-sid′o-līt, n. a mineral consisting mainly of silicate of iron, in asbestos-like fibres. [From Gr. krokis, -idos, cloth, and lithos, stone.]

Crock, krok, n. a pot or jar.—n. Crock′ery, earthenware: vessels formed of baked clay. [A.S. croc; Ger. krug; perh. of Celt. origin, as in W. crochan, a pot, Gael. krogan, a pitcher.]

Crock, krok, n. dirt, smut.—v.i. to dirty.

Crock, krok, n. an old ewe: an old horse. [Cf. Norw. and Sw. krake, a poor beast.]

Crocket, krok′et, n. (archit.) an ornament on the angles of spires, canopies, &c., like curled leaves or flowers.

Crocodile, krok′o-dīl, n. a genus of large amphibious saurian reptiles, including the crocodile of the Nile, and also the alligators and gavials.—adj. and n. Crocodil′ian.—n. Crocodil′ity, captious arguing.—Crocodile tears, affected tears, hypocritical grief—from the old story that crocodiles (which have large lachrymal glands) shed tears over the hard necessity of killing animals for food. [O. Fr. cocodrille—L. crocodilus—Gr. krokodeilos, a lizard.]

Crocus, krō′kus, n. a bulbous plant with brilliant yellow or purple flowers: (slang) a quack doctor. [L. crocus—Gr. krokos; prob. of Eastern origin, as Heb. karkom, and Ar. kurkum, saffron.]

Croft, kroft, n. a small piece arable land adjoining a dwelling: a kind of small farm.—ns. Croft′er; Croft′ing. [A.S. croft; perh. cog. with Dut. kroft, or with Gael. croit.]

Croissant. Same as Crescent.

Croma, krō′ma, n. (mus.) an eighth note, or quaver.—Also Crome.

Crome, krōm, Cromb, krōōm, n. a hook or crook.—v.t. to draw with such. [Cf. Dut. kram.]

Cromlech, krom′lek, n. a term applied in Brittany to a group of standing stones, a stone circle: formerly applied to a dolmen, with which it is still sometimes confounded in England (see Dolmen). [W. cromlech—crom, curved, circular, and llech, a stone.]

Cromorna, krō-mor′na, n. a clarinet-like reed-stop in an organ. [Fr.,—Ger. krummhorn.]

Crone, krōn, n. an old woman, usually in contempt—sometimes an old man. [Perh. O. Fr. carogne, a crabbed woman; or Celt., as in Ir. crion, withered.]

Cronet, krō′net, n. the hair growing over the top of a horse's hoof.

Crony, krōn′i, n. an old and intimate companion. [Ety. unknown.]

Croodle, krōōd′l, v.i. to cower down, or cling close to anything. [Prob. related to Cuddle.]

Croodle, krōōd′l, v.i. (Scot.), to coo like a dove, to coax.

Crook, krōōk, n. a bend, anything bent: a curved tube used to lower the pitch of a cornet, &c.: the bending of the body in reverence: a staff bent at the end, as a shepherd's or bishop's: an artifice or trick: (Spens.) gibbet.—v.t. to bend or form into a hook: to turn from the straight line or from what is right.—v.i. to bend or be bent.—n. Crook′back (Shak.), a hunchback.—adj. Crook′backed; Crook′ed, bent like a crook: not straight: deviating from rectitude, perverse.—adv. Crook′edly.—n. Crook′edness.—adjs. Crook′-kneed; Crook′-shoul′dered.—A crook in the lot, any trial in one's experience. [Prob. Scand.; cf. Ice. krókr, Dan. krog.]

Crool, krool, v.i. to mutter. [Imit.]

Croon, krōōn, v.t. (Scot.) to utter a low, monotonous, inarticulate sound like a baby: to sing or hum in an undertone.—n. Croon′ing, a low murmuring sound. [Cf. Dut. kreunen, to groan.]

Crop, krop, n. all the produce of a field of grain: anything gathered or cropped: an entire ox-hide: the craw of a bird: (archit.) a finial: a whip-handle: the cutting the hair short.—v.t. to cut off the top or ends: to cut short or close: to mow, reap, or gather.—v.i. to yield:—pr.p. crop′ping; pa.p. cropped.—n. Crop′-ear, one having cropped or cut ears.—adj. Crop′ful (Milt.), satiated.—ns. Crop′per, one who or that which crops: a plant which furnishes a crop: one who raises a crop for a share of it: a kind of fancy pigeon remarkable for its large crop; Crop′ping, act of cutting off: the raising of crops: (geol.) an outcrop; Crop′py, one of the Irish rebels of 1798 who cut their hair short in imitation of the French Revolutionists.—adj. Crop′-sick, sick of a surfeit.—Crop out, to appear above the surface; Crop up, to come up incidentally. [A.S. crop, the top shoot of a plant, the crop of a bird; Dut. crop, a bird's crop.]