Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CRY, v.i. [pret. and pp. cried. It ought to be cryed. Fr. crier. The Welsh has cri, a cry, and rough, raw, criaw, to cry, clamor or weep; and crevu, to cry, to crave; both deduced by Owen from cre, a combining cause, a principle, beginning or first motion; also, what pervades or penetrates, a cry. This is the root of create, or from the same root. Cre, Owen deduces from rhe, with the prefix cy; and rhe, he renders a run or swift motion. This is certainly contracted from rhed, a race, the root of ride; Owen to the contrary notwithstanding. All the senses of these words unite in that of shooting forth, driving forward or producing. There is a class of words a little different from the foregoing, which exactly give the sense of cry. It. gridare; Sp. and Port. gritar; Sax. grædan; Sw. grata; Dan. græder; D. kryten; W. grydiaw, to utter a rough sound, from rhyd, the Welsh root of crydu, to shake or tremble, whence cradle. (W. creth, a trembling or shivering with cold, from cre; also, constitution, disposition.) The latter root rhyd, crydu, would give cri, rough, raw, crude. Cry is a contracted word; but whether from the former or latter class of roots may be less obvious – possibly all are from one source. If not, I think cry is from the French crier, and this form gridare, gritar.]

1. To utter a loud voice; to speak, call or exclaim with vehemence; in a very general sense.
2. To call importunately; to utter a loud voice, by way of earnest request or prayer. The people cried to Pharaoh for bread. – Gen. xli. The people cried to Moses, and he prayed. – Numb. xi.
3. To utter a loud voice in weeping; to utter the voice of sorrow; to lament. But ye shall cry for sorrow of heart. – Is. lxv. Esau cried with a great and bitter cry. – Gen. xxvii. Also, to weep or shed tears in silence; a popular use of the word.
4. To utter a loud sound in distress; as, Heshbon shall cry. – Is. xv. He giveth, food to the young ravens which cry. – Ps. cxlvii. To exclaim; to utter a loud voice; with out. And, lo, a spirit taketh him, and he suddenly crieth out. – Luke ix.
5. To proclaim; to utter a loud voice, in giving public notice. Go and cry in the ears of Jerusalem. – Jer. ii. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness. – Is. xl.
6. To bawl; to squall; as a child.
7. To yelp, as a dog. It may be used for the uttering of a loud voice by other animals. To cry against, to exclaim, or utter a loud voice by way of reproof, threatening or censure. Arise, go to Nineveh, and cry against it. – Jonah i. To cry out, to exclaim; to vociferate; to scream; to clamor. #2. To complain loudly. To cry out against, to complain loudly, with a view to censure; to blame; to utter censure. To cry to, to call on in prayer; to implore.