Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CROUCH, v.i. [G. kriechen, kroch, kröche, to creep, to stoop, to cringe, probably allied to crook, Fr. crochu, as cringe to crank. Class Rg. Vulgarly, crooch, scrooch.]

1. To bend down; to stoop low; to lie close to the ground; as an animal. A dog crouches to his master; a lion crouches in the thicket.
2. To bend servilely; to stoop meanly; to fawn; to cringe. Every one that is left in thy house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of bread. 1 Sam ii.

CROUCH, v.t. [See Cross.]

To sign with the cross; to bless. [Not in use.] Chaucer.

CROUCH'ED-FRI-ARS, n.

An order of friars, so called from the cross which they wore.

CROUCH'ING, ppr.

Bending; stooping; cringing.

CROUP, n.¹ [Fr. croupe, a ridge, top, buttocks; Sp. grupa; Port. garupa; It. groppa; W. crib; Russ. krivei, crooked; krivlyu, to bend.]

The rump of a fowl; the buttocks of a horse, or extremity of the reins above the hips.

CROUP, n.² [Scot. croup, crope, crupe, crowp, to croak, to cry or speak with a hoarse voice; Goth. hropyan; Sax. hreopan, to call out.]

The disease called technically cynanche trachealis, an inflammatory affection of the trachea, accompanied with a hoarse cough and difficult respiration. It is vulgarly called rattles.

CROU-PADE', n. [from croup, or its root.]

In the manege, a leap in which the horse pulls up his hind legs, as if he drew them up to his belly. – Encyc.

CROU'PI-ER, n.

One who sits at the foot of a table.

CROUT, or KROUT, n. [G. kraut, cabbage, an herb; D. kruid.]

Sour crout is made by laying minced or chopped cabbage in layers in a barrel, with a handful of salt and caraway seeds between the layers; then ramming down the whole, covering it, pressing it with a heavy weight, and suffering it to stand, till it has gone through fermentation. It is an efficacious preservative against scurvy in long voyages. – Encyc.

CROW, n. [Sax. crawe; Dan. krage; Sw. kråka; D. kraai, G. krähe; so named from its cry, G. krähen, D. kraaijen, Goth. hruk, a croaking, hrukyan, to croak or crow, L. crocio, Gr. κραζω, κραξω, κεκραγα. It has no connection with L. corvus, but rook is of the same family.]

1. A large black fowl, of the genus Corvus; the beak is convex and cultrated, the nostrils are covered with bristly feathers, the tongue is forked and cartilaginous. This is a voracious fowl, feeding on carrion and grain, particularly maiz, which it pulls up, just after it appears above ground. To pluck or pull a crow, is to be industrious or contentious about a trifle, or thing of no value. – Johnson.
2. A bar of iron with a beak, crook, or two claws, used in raising and moving heavy weights. – Moxon.
3. The voice of the cock. [See the Verb.]
4. The mesentery or ruffle of a beast, so called by butchers.

CROW, v.i. [pret. and pp. crowed; formerly pret. crew. Sax. crawan; D. kraaijen; G. krähen; Gr. κραζω. See the Noun.]

1. To cry or make a noise as a cock, in joy, gayety or defiance.
2. To boast in triumph; to vaunt; to vapor; to swagger. [A popular, but not an elegant use of the word.] – Grandison.

CROW'-BAR, n.

A bar of iron sharpened at one end, used as a lever for raising weights.

CROW'-BER-RY, n.

A plant of the genus Empetrum, or berry-bearing heath. One species bears the crow-crake berries. – Encyc.

CROWD, or CROWTH, n. [Ir. cruit; W. crwth, a swelling or bulging, a musical instrument.]

An instrument of music with six strings; a kind of violin.

CROWD, n. [Sax. cruth, cread. See Crew.]

1. Properly, a collection; a number of things collected, or closely pressed together.
2. A number of persons congregated and pressed together, or collected into a close body without order; a throng. Hence,
3. A multitude; a great number collected.
4. A number of things near together; a number promiscuously assembled or lying near each other; as, a crowd of isles in the Egean Sea.
5. The lower orders of people; the populace; the vulgar. – Dryden.

CROWD, v.i.

1. To press in numbers; as, the multitude crowded through the gate or into the room.
2. To press; to urge forward; as, the man crowded into the room.
3. To swarm or be numerous.

CROWD, v.t.

1. To press; to urge; to drive together.
2. To fill by pressing numbers together without order; as, to crowd a room with people; to crowd the memory with ideas.
3. To fill to excess. Volumes of reports crowd a lawyer's library.
4. To encumber by multitudes. – Shak.
5. To urge; to press by solicitation; to dun.
6. In seamanship, to crowd sail, is to carry an extraordinary force of sail, with a view to accelerate the course of a ship, as in chasing or escaping from an enemy; to carry a press of sail.

CROWD'ED, pp.

Collected and pressed; pressed together; urged; driven; filled by a promiscuous multitude.

CROWD'ER, n.

A fiddler; one who plays on a crowd.

CROWD'ING, ppr.

Pressing together; pushing; thrusting; driving; assembling in a promiscuous multitude; filling; urging.

CROW'-FLOW-ER, n.

A kind of campion.

CROW'-FOOT, n.

1. On board of ships, a complication of small cords spreading out from a long block; used to suspend the awnings, or to keep the top-sails from striking and fretting against the tops. – Encyc.
2. In botany, the Ranunculus, a genus of plants.

CROW'ING, ppr.

Uttering a particular voice, as a cock; boasting in triumph; vaunting; bragging.

CROW'-KEEP-ER, n.

A scarecrow. [Not used.] – Shak.

CROWN, n. [Fr. couronne; Arm. curun; W. coron; D. kroon; G. krone; Sw. krona; Dan. krone; Ir. coroin; L. corona; Sp. and It. id.; Gr. κορωνη. The radical letters appear to be Cr, as corolla, without n, indicates. Qu. a top or roundness. See Chorus.]

1. An ornament worn on the head by kings and sovereign princes, as a badge of imperial or regal power and dignity. Figuratively, regal power; royalty; kingly government, or executive authority.
2. A wreath or garland.
3. Honorary distinction; reward. They do it to obtain a corruptible crown; we, an incorruptible. – 1 Cor. ix.
4. Honor; splendor; dignity. The crown has fallen from our heads. – Lam. v. Phil. iv. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband. Prov. xii.
5. The top of the head; the top of a mountain or other elevated object. The end of an anchor, or the point from which the arms proceed.
6. The part of a hat which covers the top of the head.
7. A coin anciently stamped with the figure of a crown. The English crown is five shillings sterling. The French crown is a hundred and nine cents. Other coins bear the same name.
8. Completion; accomplishment.
9. Clerical tonsure in a circular form; a little circle shaved on the top of the head, as a mark of ecclesiastical office or distinction.
10. Among jewelers, the upper work of a rose diamond.
11. In botany, an appendage to the top of a seed, which serves to bear it in the wind.