Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CRIT'IC, v.i.

To criticize; to play the critic. [Little used.] – Temple.

CRIT'I-CAL, a. [L. criticus; Gr. κριτικος. See Critic.]

1. Relating to criticism; nicely exact; as, a critical dissertation on Homer.
2. Having the skill or power nicely to distinguish beauties from blemishes; as, a critical judge; a critical auditor; a critical ear; critical taste.
3. Making nice distinctions; accurate; as, critical rules.
4. Capable of judging with accuracy; discerning beauties and faults; nicely judicious in matters of literature and the fine arts; as Virgil was a critical poet.
5. Capable of judging with accuracy; conforming to exact rules of propriety; exact; particular; as, to be critical in rites and ceremonies, or in the selection of books.
6. Inclined to find fault, or to judge with severity.
7. [See Crisis.] Pertaining to a crisis; marking the time or state of a disease which indicates its termination in the death or recovery of the patient; as, critical days, or critical symptoms.
8. Producing a crisis or change in a disease; indicating a crisis; as, a critical sweat.
9. Decisive; noting a time or state on which the issue of things depends; important, as regards the consequences; as, a critical time or moment; a critical juncture.
10. Formed or situated to determine or decide, or having the crisis at command; important or essential for determining; as, a critical post. – Mitford.
11. Respecting criticism.

CRIT'IC-AL-LY, adv.

1. In a critical manner; with nice discernment of truth or falsehood, propriety or impropriety; with nice scrutiny; accurately; exactly; as, to examine evidence critically; to observe critically.
2. At the crisis; at the exact time.
3. In a critical situation, place or condition, so as to command the crisis; as, a town critically situated. – Mitford.

CRIT'IC-AL-NESS, n.

1. The state of being critical; incidence at a particular point of time.
2. Exactness; accuracy; nicety; minute care in examination.

CRIT'I-CISE, v.i. [s as z.]

1. To examine and judge critically; to judge with attention to beauties and faults; as, to criticise on a literary work, on an argument or discourse.
2. To write remarks on the merit of a performance; to notice beauties and faults. Cavil you may, but never criticise. – Pope.
3. To animadvert upon as faulty; to utter censure; as, to criticise on a man's manners, or his expenses. – Locke.

CRIT'I-CISE, v.t.

1. To notice beauties and blemishes or faults in; to utter or write remarks on the merit of a performance; as, to criticise the writings of Milton.
2. To pass judgment on with respect to merit or blame; as, to criticise an author; to criticise the conduct.

CRIT'I-CIS'ED, pp.

Examined and judged with respect to beauties and faults.

CRIT'I-CIS'ING, ppr.

Examining and judging with regard to beauties and faults; remarking on; animadverting on.

CRIT'I-CISM, n.

1. The art of judging with propriety of the beauties and faults of a literary performance, or of any production in the fine arts; as, the rules of criticism.
2. The act of judging on the merit of a performance; animadversion; remark on beauties and faults; critical observation, verbal or written. We say, the author's criticisms are candid, or they are severe.

CRI-TIQUE', or CRI-TIC', n. [Fr. critique.]

1. A critical examination of the merits of a performance; remarks or animadversions on beauties and faults. Addison wrote a critique on Paradise Lost.
2. Science of criticism; standard or rules of judging of the merit of performances. If ideas and words were distinctly weighed, and duly considered, they would afford us another sort of logic and critic. – Locke.

CRIZ'ZLE, or CRIZ'ZEL-ING, n. [See Crisp.]

A kind of roughness on the surface of glass, which clouds its transparency. Encyc.

CROAK, n.

The low, harsh sound uttered by a frog or a raven, or a like sound.

CROAK, v.i. [Sax. cracettan; Goth. hrukyan; L. crocio, crocito; Sp. croaxar; It. crocciare; Fr. croasser; Arm. crozal; G. krächzen; D. kraaijen, to crow, and kruchgen, to groan; Ir. grag, gragam; coinciding in elements with W. creg, cryg, hoarse, crygu, to make rough or hoarse; Sax. hreog, rough, and hreowian, to rue; Gr. κρωζω, κρωγμος, and κραζω, κραγεις. These all appear to be of one family, and from the root of rough and creak, W. rhyg. See Crow.]

1. To make a low, hoarse noise in the throat, as a frog or other animal.
2. To caw; to cry, as a raven or crow.
3. To make any muttering sound, resembling that of a frog or raven; as, their bellies croak. – Locke.
4. In contempt, to speak with a low, hollow voice.

CROAK'ER, n.

One that croaks, murmurs or grumbles; one who complains unreasonably.

CROAK'ING, n.

A low, harsh sound, as of a frog, or the bowels.

CROAK'ING, ppr.

Uttering a low, harsh sound from the throat, or other similar sound.

CRO'ATS, n.

Troops, natives of Croatia.

CRO'CA-LITE, n. [from crocus, saffron.]

A mineral, a variety of zeolite, of an orange or brick red color. It is sometimes found in reniform or globular masses, with a radiated texture. – Cleaveland.

CRO'CE-OUS, a. [L. croceus, from crocus, saffron.]

Like saffron; yellow; consisting of saffron.

CRO'CHES, n.

Little buds or knobs about the tops of a deer's horn. – Bailey.

CRO-CI-TA'TION, n. [L. crocito.]

A croaking.

CROCK, n. [Qu. from crock, supra, or from Ch. חרן, Ar. حَرَقَ charaka, to burn.]

Soot; the black matter collected from combustion on pots and kettles, or in a chimney. – Ray.

CROCK, n. [Sax. cruce, crocca; D. kruik; G. krug; D. krukke; Sw. kruka; Fr. cruche; W. cregen, an earthen vessel; crocan, a pot.]

An earthen vessel; a pot or pitcher; a cup. [Obs.]

CROCK, v.t. [or v. i.]

To black with soot, or other matter collected from combustion; or to black with the coloring matter of cloth. – New England.

CROCK'ER-Y, n. [W. crocan, a boiler or pot; crocenu, to make earthen vessels; crocenyz, a potter. See Crock.]

Earthen ware; vessels formed of clay, glazed and baked. The term is applied to the coarser kinds of ware; the finer kinds being usually called china or porcelain.