Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CRATE, n. [L. crates.]

A kind of basket or hamper of wicker-work, used for the transportation of china, crockery and similar wares.

CRA'TER, n. [L. crater, Gr. κρατηρ, a great cup.]

1. The aperture or mouth of a volcano.
2. A constellation of the southern hemisphere, containing 31 stars.

CRA-TER'I-FORM, a.

Having the form of a crater. – Mantell.

CRAUNCH, v.t. [D. schranssen; vulgar scraunch.]

To crush with the teeth; to chew with violence and noise.

CRAUNCH'ING, ppr.

Crushing with the teeth with violence.

CRA-VAT', n. [Fr. cravate; It. cravatta; Sp. corbata; Port. caravata. In Dan. krage, and krave, is a collar, a cape, the neck of a shirt, &c.]

A neck-cloth; a piece of fine muslin or other cloth worn by men about the neck.

CRAVE, v.t. [Sax. crafian, to crave ask, implore; W. crevu, to cry, to cry for, to crave; crev, a cry, a scream; Sw. krafia; Dan. kræver; Ice. krefa. See Class Rb, No. 2, 4, Syr. So also D. roepen, Sax. hreopen, Goth. hropyan, to cry out, as our vulgar phrase is, to rip out. The primary sense is to cry out, or call.]

1. To ask with earnestness or importunity; to beseech; to implore; to ask with submission or humility, as a dependent; to beg; to entreat. As for my nobler friends, I crave their pardons. – Shak. Joseph … went in boldly to Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. – Mark xv.
2. To call for, as a gratification; to long for; to require or demand, as a passion or appetite; as, the stomach or appetite craves food.
3. Sometimes intransitively, with for before the thing sought; as, I crave for mercy.

CRAV'ED, pp.

Asked for with earnestness; implored; entreated; longed for; required.

CRA'VEN, or CRA'VENT, n. [or CRA'VANT. Qu. from crave, that is, one who begs for his life, when vanquished.]

1. A word of obloquy, used formerly by one vanquished in trial by battle, and yielding to the conqueror. Hence, a recreant; a coward; a weak-hearted, spiritless fellow. – Shak.
2. A vanquished, dispirited cock. – Shak.

CRA'VEN, v.t.

To make recreant, weak or cowardly. – Shak.

CRA'VEN-ED, pp.

Made recreant or cowardly.

CRA'VEN-ING, ppr.

Making cowardly.

CRAV'ER, n.

One who craves or begs.

CRAV'ING, n.

Vehement or urgent desire, or calling for; a longing for.

CRAV'ING, ppr.

1. Asking with importunity; urging for earnestly; begging; entreating.
2. Calling for with urgency; requiring; demanding gratification; as, an appetite craving food.

CRAV'ING-LY, adv.

In an earnest or craving manner.

CRA'VING-NESS, n.

The state of craving.

CRAW, n. [Dan. kroe; Sw. kräfva. This word coincides in elements with crop: W. cropa; Sax. crop; D. krop; G. kropf. The Danish kroe signifies the craw, and a victualing house, tavern or ale-house. It seems to be named from gathering.]

The crop or first stomach of fowls. – Ray.

CRAW'-FISH, or CRAY'-FISH, n. [Craw is contracted from crab, or from the Welsh crag, a shell; pysgod cragen, shell-fish. See Crab. Qu. is not fish, in these words, from the last syllable of the French ecrevisse?]

A species of Cancer or crab, a crustaceous fish, found in streams. It resembles the lobster, but is smaller, and is esteemed very delicate food.

CRAWL, n. [Qu. D. kraal.]

A pen or inclosure of stakes and hurdles on the sea coast for containing fish. – Mar. Dict.

CRAWL, v.i. [D. krielen; Scot. crowl; Dan. kravler, to crawl up, to climb; Sw. kräla, to crawl, to swarm; D. grielen, to swarm; grillen, to shiver or shudder; Fr. grouiller, to stir about, to crawl with insects; It. grillare, to simmer. Qu. Dan. kriller, to itch.]

1. To creep; to move slowly by thrusting or drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; or to move slowly on the hands and knees or feet, as a human being. A worm crawls on the earth; a boy crawls into a cavern, or up a tree.
2. To move or walk weakly, slowly, or timorously. He was hardly able to crawl about the room. – Arbuthnot.
3. To creep; to advance slowly and slyly; to insinuate one's self; as, to crawl into favor. [This use is vulgar.]
4. To move about; to move in any direction; used in contempt. Absurd opinions crawl about the world. – South.
5. To have the sensation of insects creeping about the body; as, the flesh crawls.

CRAWL'ER, n.

He or that which crawls; a creeper; a reptile.

CRAWL'ING, ppr.

Creeping; moving slowly along the ground, or other substance; moving or walking slowly, weakly or timorously; insinuating.

CRAY, or CRAY'ER, n.

A small sea vessel. [Not in use.]

CRAY'-FISH, n.

The river lobster. [See Craw-fish.]