Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CROCK'ET, n. [Fr. croc, crochet.]

In Gothic architecture, a small bunch of foliage used to ornament canopies, spires, and pinnacles. – Elmes.

CROC'O-DILE, a.

Pertaining to or like a crocodile; as, crocodile tears, that is, false or affected tears, hypocritical sorrow.

CROC'O-DILE, n. [Gr. κροκοδειλος; (qu. κροκος, saffron, and δειλος, fearing;) L. crocodilus; It. coccodrillo; Sp. cocodrilo.]

1. An amphibious animal of the genus Crocodilus. It has a naked body, with four feet and a tail; it has five toes on the fore feet, and four on the hind feet. It grows to the length of sixteen or eighteen feet, runs swiftly on land, but does not easily turn itself. It inhabits the large rivers in Africa and Asia, and lays its eggs, resembling those of a goose, in the sand, to be hatched by the heat of the sun. [See Alligator.] – Encyc.
2. In rhetoric, a captious and sophistical argument contrived to draw one into a snare.

CROC-O-DIL'I-AN, a.

Pertaining to the crocodile. – Buckland.

CROC-O-DIL'I-TY, n.

In logic, a captious or sophistical mode of arguing.

CRO'CUS, n. [Gr. κροκος, from the Shemitic ירק, and its yellow color.]

1. Saffron, a genus of plants.
2. In chimistry, a yellow powder; any metal calcined to a red or deep yellow color. – Encyc.

CROFT, n. [Sax. croft; allied probably to L. crypta, Gr. κρυπτω, to conceal.]

A little close adjoining or near to a dwelling-house, and used for pasture, tillage or other purposes. – Encyc.

CROI-SADE', n. [Fr. from croix, a cross.]

A holy war; an expedition of Christians against the infidels, for the conquest of Palestine. [See the more common word, Crusade.]

CROIS'ES, n. [See Cross.]

1. Soldiers enrolled under the banners of the cross. – Burke.
2. Pilgrims who carry the cross.

CRO'KER, n.

A fowl that inhabits the Chesapeak and the large rivers in Virginia; sometimes of three feet in length. – Pennant.

CROM'LECH, n. [W. cromleç; crom, bent, concave, and llec, a flat stone.]

Huge flat stones resting on other stones, set on end for that purpose; supposed to be the remains of druidical altars. – Rowland, Mon. Antiq.

CRO-MOR'NA, n. [Fr. cromorne; Germ. krummhorn, crooked horn.]

The name of a reed stop in the organ, voiced like the oboe, but of a different quality; bearing the same relation to the oboe as the stopped diapason to the open. Corruptly written Cremona.

CROM-WEL'LI-AN, a.

Pertaining to Cromwell.

CRONE, n. [Ir. criona, old; crion, withered; crionaim, to wither, fade, decay; W. crinaw, to wither, to become brittle; Gr. γερων, old.]

1. An old woman. – Shak. Dryden.
2. An old ewe. Tusser.

CRO'NET, n. [coronet.]

1. The hair which grows over the top of a horse's hoof. – Johnson.
2. The iron at the end of a tilting spade. – Bailey.

CRON'IC-AL, or CRON'Y-CAL, a.

See ACRONICAL.

CRO'NY, n. [See Crone. But this word seems to carry the sense of fellowship, and is precisely the Ar. قَرَنَ karana, to join, to associate; whence its derivative, an associate.]

An intimate companion; an associate; a familiar friend. To oblige your crony Swift, / Bring our dame a new year's gift. – Swift. Hence an old crony is an intimate friend of long standing.

CROOK, n.

One who cuts out garments. [Local.]

CROOK, n. [Sw. krok; Dan. krog; Fr. croc, crochet; Arm. crocq; Ir. cruca; W. crwg, crwca, croca; Goth. hrugg, a shepherd's crook, which in Italian is rocco; W. crug, a heap, a rick; Sax. hric; Eng. a ridge; G. rücken, the back or ridge of an animal. These words appear to be connected with L. ruga, a wrinkle, Russ. kryg, okrug, a circle. Wrinkling forms roughness, and this is the radical sense of hoarseness, It. roco, hoarse, L. raucus, Eng. rough, W. cryg, rough, hoarse. The radical sense of crook is to strain or draw: hence, to bend.]

1. Any bend, turn or curve; or a bent or curving instrument. We speak of a crook in a stick of timber, or in a river; and any hook is a crook.
2. A shepherd's staff, curving at the end; a pastoral staff. When used by a bishop or abbot, it is called a crosier. He left his crook, he left his flocks. – Prior.
3. A gibbet.
4. An artifice; a trick. – Cranmer.

CROOK, v.i.

To bend or be bent; to be turned from a right line; to curve; to wind. – Camden.

CROOK, v.t. [Fr. crocher; Sw. kröka; Dan. kröger; W. crwcau, crocau.]

1. To bend; to turn from a straight line; to make a curve or hook.
2. To turn from rectitude; to pervert. – Bacon.
3. To thwart. [Little used.]

CROOK'-BACK, n.

A crooked back; one who has a crooked back or round shoulders. – Shak.

CROOK'-BACK-ED, a.

Having a round back, or shoulders. – Dryden.

CROOK'ED, pp. [or a.]

1. Bent; curved; curving; winding.
2. Winding in moral conduct; devious; froward; perverse; going out of the path of rectitude; given to obliquity or wandering from duty. They are a perverse and crooked generation. – Deut. xxxii.

CROOK'ED-LY, adv.

1. In a winding manner.
2. Untowardly; not compliantly.