CROUCH, krowch, _v.i._ to squat or lie close to the ground: to cringe: to
fawn. [Possibly _crook_.]
CROUCHED-FRIARS = CRUTCHED-FRIARS. See CRUTCH.
CROUCH-WARE, krowch'-w[=a]r, _n._ a finely finished pottery made with an
admixture of pipe-clay in Shropshire: the famous salt-glazed stoneware made
at Burslem.
CROUP, kr[=oo]p, _n._ a severe disease in the throat of children,
accompanied by a hoarse cough.--_v.i._ to cry or speak hoarsely.--_n._
CROUP'INESS.--_adjs._ CROUP'OUS, CROUP'Y. [A.S. _kropan_, to cry; Scot.
_roup_, _croup_, hoarseness; from the sound.]
CROUP, kr[=oo]p, _n._ the rump of a horse: the place behind the
saddle.--_n._ CROUP'ON (_obs._), the croup: the human buttocks. [Fr.
_croupe_, a protuberance; allied to CROP.]
CROUPADE, kroo-p[=a]d', _n._ in the manège, a leap in which the horse draws
up his hind-legs toward the belly. [Fr.]
CROUPER, kr[=oo]p'[.e]r, _n._ obsolete form of CRUPPER.
CROUPIER, kr[=oo]'pi-[.e]r, _n._ one who sits at the lower end of the table
as assistant-chairman at a public dinner: a vice-president: he who watches
the cards and collects the money at the gaming-table. [Fr., 'one who rides
on the croup.']
CROUSE, kr[=oo]s, _adj._ (_Scot._) lively, pert.--_adv._ boldly,
pertly.--_adv._ CROUSE'LY. [M. E. _cr[=u]s_; cf. Ger. _kraus_, Dut.
_kroes_, crisp, cross.]
CROUT, krowt, _n._ See SAUER-KRAUT.
CROW, kr[=o], _n._ a large bird, generally black, of the genus _Corvus_,
which includes magpies, nut-crackers, jays, choughs, &c.: the cry of a
cock: a crow-bar.--_v.i._ to croak: to cry as a cock, in joy or defiance:
to boast, swagger (with _over_):--_pa.t._ crew (kr[=oo]) or crowed; _pa.p._
crowed.--_ns._ CROW'-BAR, a large iron bar mostly bent at the end, to be
used as a lever; CROW'-BERR'Y, a small creeping shrub, producing small
black berries; CROW'-FLOW'ER (_Shak._), perhaps the same as CROW'FOOT, a
common weed, the flower of which is like a crow's foot, the buttercup:
crow's-foot: a number of lines rove through a long wooden block, supporting
the backbone of an awning horizontally; CROW'-KEEP'ER (_Shak._), a
scarecrow; CROW'-QUILL, a pen made of the quill of a crow, &c., for fine
writing or etching; CROW'S'-BILL, CROW'-BILL (_surg._), a kind of forceps
for extracting bullets, &c., from wounds; CROW'S'-FOOT, one of the wrinkles
produced by age, spreading out from the corners of the eyes: (_mil._) a
caltrop; CROW'S'-NEST (_naut._), a shelter at the top-gallant mast-head of
whalers for the man on the lookout.--_n.pl._ CROW'-STEPS (see
CORBIE).--_n._ CROW'-TOE (_Milt._), probably the same as CROWFOOT.--AS THE
CROW FLIES, in a straight line; EAT CROW, or BOILED CROW, to be forced to
do something very disagreeable; HAVE A CROW TO PLUCK WITH, to have
something to settle with some one. [A.S. _crawe_, a crow, _crawan_, to cry
like a cock; imit.]
CROWD, krowd, _n._ a number of persons or things closely pressed together,
without order: the rabble: multitude.--_v.t._ to gather into a lump or
crowd: to fill by pressing or driving together: to compress.--_v.i._ to
press on: to press together in numbers: to swarm.--_p.adj._
CROWD'ED.--CROWD SAIL, to carry a press of sail for speed. [A.S. _crúdan_,
to press.]
CROWD, krowd, _n._ (_obs._) an ancient musical instrument of the nature of
the violin.--_n._ CROWD'ER (_obs._), a fiddler. [W. _crwth_, a hollow
protuberance, a fiddle; Gael., Ir. _cruit_.]
CROWDIE, krowd'i, _n._ a mixture of meal and water: (_Scot._) brose. [Der.
unknown.]
CROWN, krown, _n._ the diadem or state-cap of royalty: regal power: the
sovereign: honour: reward, as the 'martyr's crown:' the top of anything,
esp. of the head: completion: accomplishment; a coin stamped with a crown,
esp. the silver 5s. piece--used also as the translation of the old French
_écu_, worth from six francs (or livres) to three francs: a size of paper,
because originally water-marked with a crown: (_archit._) a species of
spire or lantern, formed by converging flying-buttresses.--_v.t._ to cover
or invest with a crown: to invest with royal dignity: to adorn: to dignify:
to complete happily.--_ns._ CROWN'-AG'ENT, a solicitor in Scotland who
prepares criminal prosecutions; CROWN'-ANT'LER, the uppermost antler of the
horn of a stag; CROWN'-COL'ONY, a colony whose administration is directly
under the home government; CROWN DERBY PORCELAIN (see PORCELAIN).--_p.adj._
CROWNED, having or wearing a crown: rewarded: consummated.--_ns._ CROWN'ER
(_Shak._), a corruption of coroner; CROWN'ET, a coronet: (_Shak._) that
which crowns or accomplishes; CROWN'-GLASS, a kind of window-glass formed
in circular plates or discs; CROWN'-IMP[=E]'RIAL, a plant, a species of
fritillary; CROWN'ING.--_n.pl._ CROWN'-JEW'ELS, jewels pertaining to the
crown or sovereign.--_ns._ CROWN'-LAND, land belonging to the crown or
sovereign; CROWN'-LAW'YER, the lawyer who acts for the crown in criminal
cases.--_adj._ CROWN'LESS.--_ns._ CROWN'LET, a small crown; CROWN'-LIV'ING,
a church living in the gift of the crown; CROWN-OFFICE, the office for the
business of the crown side of the King's Bench: the office in which the
great seal is affixed; CROWN'-P[=A]'PER, in England, a printing-paper of
the size 15 × 20 in.: in America, a writing-paper 15 × 19 in.; CROWN'-POST,
the same as KING-POST (q.v.); CROWN'-PRINCE, the prince who succeeds to the
crown; CROWN'-SAW, a circular saw made by cutting teeth round a cylinder;
CROWN'-WHEEL, a wheel resembling a crown, with teeth or cogs set at right
angles to its plane; CROWN'-WIT'NESS, a witness for the crown in a criminal
prosecution instituted by it; CROWN'WORK (_fort._), an outwork composed of
a bastion between two curtains, with demi-bastions at the extremes.--CROWN
OF THE CAUSEWAY, the middle of the street. [O. Fr. _corone_ (Fr.
_couronne_)--L. _corona_; cf. Gr. _kor[=o]nos_, curved.]
CROZE, kr[=o]z, _n._ the groove in the staves of a cask in which the edge
of the head is set.
CROZIER. See CROSIER.
CRUCIAL, kr[=oo]'shi-al, _adj._ testing, searching, from the practice of
marking a testing instance with a cross to draw attention to it.--_adj._
CRU'CI[=A]TE (_bot._), arranged in the form of a cross, as leaves or
petals. [Fr. _crucial_, from L. _crux_, _crucis_, a cross.]
CRUCIAN, CRUSIAN, kroo'shi-an, _n._ the German carp, having no barbels.
CRUCIBLE, kr[=oo]'si-bl, _n._ an earthen pot for melting ores, metals, &c.
[Low L. _crucibulum_, most prob. from L. _crux_.]
CRUCIFERÆ, kroo-sif'[.e]r-[=e], _n._ a natural order of exogenous plants
(many edible), having a corolla of four petals arranged in the form of a
cross.--_n._ CRUC'IFER, a cross-bearer in a procession.--_adj._
CRUCIF'EROUS (_bot._), bearing four petals in the form of a cross. [L.
_crux_, _crucis_, a cross, _ferre_, to bear.]
CRUCIFY, kr[=oo]'si-f[=i], _v.t._ to put to death by fixing the hands and
feet to a cross: to subdue completely: to mortify: to torment:--_pa.p._
cru'cified.--_ns._ CRUCIF[=I]'ER, one who crucifies; CRU'CIFIX, a figure or
picture of Christ fixed to the cross; CRUCIFIX'ION, death on the cross,
esp. that of Christ.--_adjs._ CRU'CIFORM, in the form of a cross;
CRUCIG'EROUS, bearing a cross. [O. Fr. _crucifier_--L. _crucifig[)e]re_,
_crucifixum_--_crux_, and _fig[)e]re_, to fix.]
CRUDE, kr[=oo]d, _adj._ raw, unprepared: not reduced to order or form:
unfinished: undigested: immature.--_adv._ CRUDE'LY.--_ns._ CRUDE'NESS;
CRUD'ITY, rawness: unripeness: that which is crude.--_adj._ CRUD'Y
(_Shak._), crude, raw. [L. _crudus_, raw.]
CRUEL, kr[=oo]'el, _adj._ disposed to inflict pain, or pleased at
suffering: void of pity, merciless, savage: severe.--_adj._
CRU'EL-HEART'ED, delighting in cruelty: hard-hearted: unrelenting.--_adv._
CRU'ELLY.--_ns._ CRU'ELNESS (_obs._); CRU'ELTY. [Fr. _cruel_--L.
_crudelis_.]
CRUET, kr[=oo]'et, _n._ a small jar or phial for sauces and
condiments.--_n._ CRU'ET-STAND, a stand or frame for holding cruets. [Acc.
to Skeat, prob. formed from Dut. _kruik_, a jar = Eng. _crock_; and acc. to
E. Müller, dim. of O. Fr. _cruye_ (mod. Fr. _cruche_, _cruchette_, a jar),
from root of _crock_.]
CRUISE, kr[=oo]z, _v.i._ to sail to and fro: to rove on the sea.--_n._ a
sailing to and fro: a voyage in various directions in search of an enemy,
or for the protection of vessels.--_n._ CRUIS'ER. [Dut. _kruisen_, to
cross--_kruis_, a cross.]
CRUISIE. See CRUSIE.
CRUISKEN, kroos'ken, _n._ (_Ir._) a small bottle.--Also CRUIS'KEEN.
CRUIVE, CRUVE, kr[=oo]v, _n._ (_Scot._) a sty, hovel: a wattled hedge built
on tidal flats for catching fish.
CRULLER, krul'[.e]r, _n._ a cake cut from rolled dough made of eggs,
butter, sugar, flour, &c., fried crisp in boiling lard. [Cf. Dut.
_krullen_, to curl.]
CRUMB, krum, _n._ a small bit or morsel of bread: a small particle of
anything: the soft part of bread.--_v.t._ to break into crumbs: to fill
with crumbs.--_ns._ CRUMB'-BRUSH, a brush for sweeping crumbs off the
table; CRUMB'-CLOTH, a cloth laid under a table to keep falling crumbs from
the carpet.--_adjs._ CRUMB'Y, CRUM'MY, in crumbs: soft. [A.S. _cruma_; Dut.
_kruim_; Ger. _krume_; allied to _crimp_.]
CRUMBLE, krum'bl, _v.t._ to break into crumbs: to scatter in
crumbs.--_v.i._ to fall into small pieces: to decay.--_n._ a crumb: that
which crumbles easily.--_adj._ CRUMB'LY, apt to crumble, brittle. [Orig.
dim. of CRUMB; Dut. _kruimelen_; Ger. _krümeln_.]
CRUMENAL, kr[=oo]'me-nal, _n._ (_Spens._) a purse. [From L. _crumena_, a
purse.]
CRUMP, krump, _adj._ crooked: wrinkled.--_ns._ CRUM'MY, a cow with a
crumpled horn; CRUMP'ET, a kind of crumby or soft cake or muffin.--_adj._
CRUMP'Y, crump: easily broken. [A.S. _crump_--_crumb_, crooked; Ger.
_krumm_. Cf. CRAMP, CRIMP.]
CRUMPLE, krump'l, _v.t._ to contort: to mark with or draw into folds or
wrinkles: to crease.--_v.i._ to become wrinkled: to contract or
shrink.--_adj._ CRUMP'LED.--_n._ CRUMP'LING. [Formed from CRUMP.]
CRUNCH, krunsh, _v.t._ to crush with the teeth: to chew anything hard, and
so make a noise.--_n._ the act of crunching. [From the sound; cf. Fr.
_grincer_.]
CRUNKLE, krunk'l, _v.i._ to crumple.
CRUNT, krunt, _n._ (_Scot._) a blow on the head.
CRUOR, kr[=oo]'or, _n._ coagulated blood.--_n._ CRU'ORINE, the red
colouring matter of blood corpuscles.
CRUP, krup, _adj._ (_prov._) brittle.
CRUPPER, krup'[.e]r, _n._ a strap of leather fastened to the saddle and
passing under the horse's tail to keep the saddle in its place: the hind
part of a horse. [Fr. _cropière_--_crope_, the croup.]
CRURAL, kr[=oo]'ral, _adj._ belonging to or shaped like a leg. [L.
_cruralis_, from _crus_, _cruris_, the leg.]
CRUSADE, kroo-s[=a]d', _n._ a military expedition under the banner of the
cross to recover the Holy Land from the Turks: any daring or romantic
undertaking.--_v.i._ to go on a crusade.--_n._ CRUSAD'ER, one engaged in a
crusade. [Fr. _croisade_--Prov. _crozada_--_croz_, a cross--L. _crux_, a
cross.]
CRUSADO, kroo-s[=a]'do, _n._ a Portuguese coin, so called because marked
with a cross. [Port. _cruzado_.]
CRUSE, kr[=oo]z, _n._ an earthen pot: a small cup or bottle. [Cf. Ice.
_krus_; Dan. _kruus_; Ger. _krause_.]