Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CRAN'NY, n. [Fr. cran; Arm. cran, a notch; L. crena; from the root of rend, Sax. hrendan, or rendan; Arm. ranna, to split; crenna, to cut off; W. rhanu, to divide; rhan, a piece; Ir. roinnim, or ruinnim, to divide; Gr. κρινω; L. cerno. See Class Rn, No. 4, 13, 16.]

1. Properly, a rent; but commonly, any small narrow opening, fissure, crevice or chink, as in a wall, or other substance. In a firm building, the cavities ought to be filled with brick or stone, fitted to the crannies. – Dryden.
2. A hole; a secret retired place. He peeped into every cranny. – Arbuthnot.
3. In glass-making, an iron instrument for forming the necks of glasses. – Encyc.

CRAN'NY-ING, a.

Making crannies.

CRANTS, n. [G. kranz.]

Garlands carried before the bier of a maiden and hung over her grave. – Shak.

CRAPE, n. [Fr. crêpe and crêper, to curl, to crisp, to frizzle; Arm. crep; Sp. crespon, crape; crespo, crisp, curled; crespar, to crisp or curl; Port. crespam. Crape is contracted from cresp, crisp. D. krip, G. krepp, Dan. krep. See Crisp.]

A thin transparent stuff, made of raw silk gummed and twisted on the mill, woven without crossing, and much used in mourning. Crape is also used for gowns and the dress of the clergy. A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn. – Pope.

CRAPE, v.t.

To curl; to form into ringlets; as, to crape the hair.

CRAP'ED, pp.

Curled; formed into ringlets.

CRAP'ING, ppr.

Curling; forming into ringlets.

CRAP'LE, n. [W. crav.]

A claw. – Spenser.

CRAP'NEL, n.

A hook or drag. Qu. grapnel.

CRAP'U-LA, n. [L.]

A surfeit.

CRAP'U-LENCE, n. [L. crapula, a surfeit. See Crop.]

Cropsickness; drunkenness; a surfeit, or the sickness occasioned by intemperance. – Dict.

CRAP'U-LOUS, a.

Drunk; surcharged with liquor; sick by intemperance. – Dict.

CRASH, n.

1. The loud mingled sound of many things falling and breaking at once; as, the sound of a large tree falling and its branches breaking, or the sound of a falling house.
2. [L. crassus.] Coarse cloth.

CRASH, v.i.

To make the loud, clattering, multifarious sound of many things falling and breaking at once. When convulsions cleave the lab'ring earth, / Before the dismal yawn appears, the ground / Trembles and heaves, the nodding houses crash. – Smith.

CRASH, v.t. [Fr. ecraser, to crush. Crash seems to be allied to crush and to rush, Sat. hreosan.]

To break; to bruise. – Shak.

CRASH'ED, pp.

Broken or bruised.

CRASH'ING, n.

The sound of many things falling and breaking at once. There shall be a great crashing from the hills. – Zeph. i.

CRA'SIS, n. [Gr. κρασις, from κεραννυμι, or κεραω, to mix, to temper.]

1. The temper or healthy constitution of the blood in an animal body; the temperament which forms a particular constitution of the blood. – Coxe.
2. In grammar, a figure by which two different letters are contracted into one long letter or into a diphthong; as, αληθεα into αληθη; τυχεος into τυχους.

CRASS, a. [L. crassus, the same as gross – which see.]

Gross; thick; coarse; not thin, nor fine; applied to fluids and solids; as, crass and fumid exhalations. [Little used.] – Brown.

CRASS'A-MENT, n.

The thick red part of the blood, as distinct from the serum, or aqueous part; the clot.

CRASS'I-TUDE, n. [L. crassitudo.]

Grossness; coarseness; thickness; applied to liquids or solids. – Bacon. Woodward.

CRASS'NESS, n.

Grossness. – Glanville.

CRATCH, n. [Fr. creche.]

A rack; a grated crib or manger. [I believe not used in New England.]

CRATCH, v. [or n.]

See SCRATCH.

CRATCH'ES, n. [plur. G. krätze, the itch, cratches; kratzen, to scratch.]

In the manege, a swelling on the pastern, under the fetlock, and sometimes under the hoof of a horse.