Etymology dictionary

criticism (n.) — cruciate (adj.)

criticism (n.)

c. 1600, "action of criticizing, discrimination or discussion of merit, character or quality; a critical remark or disquisition," from critic + -ism. Meaning "art of judging of and defining the qualities or merits of a thing," especially "estimating literary or artistic worth" is from 1670s. Meaning "inquiry into the history and authenticity of a text" (the sense in higher criticism) is from 1660s.

criticise (v.)

chiefly British English spelling of criticize; for suffix, see -ize. Related: Criticised; criticising.

critique (n.)

"critical examination or review of the merits of something," 1702, restored French spelling of 17c. critick "art of criticism" (see critic), ultimately from Greek kritikē tekhnē "the critical art." As a verb, "to write or deliver a critique," 1751. Related: Critiqued; critiquing.

critter (n.)

1815, dialectal or humorous pronunciation of creature.

croak (v.)

early 14c., crouken, of birds (crow, raven, crane), "make a low, hoarse sound," imitative or related to Old English cracian (see crack (v.)). Of frogs, c. 1400. Meaning "forebode evil, complain, grumble" is from mid-15c., perhaps from the raven as a bird of foreboding. Slang meaning "to die" is first recorded 1812, from sound of death rattle. Related: Croaked; croaking.

croak (n.)

"a low, hoarse, guttural sound," 1560s, from croak (v.).

croaker (n.)

1630s, "prophet of evil, one who takes an unreasonably desponding view of everything," agent noun from croak (v.); a reference to the raven (compare Middle English crake "a raven," early 14c., from Old Norse kraka "crow," of imitative origin). From 1650s as "bird or other animal that croaks."

Croat (n.)

"native or inhabitant of Croatia," 1702, from Serbo-Croatian Hrvat "a Croat," from Old Church Slavonic Churvatinu "Croat," literally "mountaineer, highlander," from churva "mountain" (compare Russian khrebet "mountain chain"). Croatian is attested from 1550s as a noun, "a Croat;" 1837 as an adjective; by 1855 as "the Slavic language of the Croats."

Croatia

from Modern Latin Croatia, from Croatian Hrvatska, probably related to Russian khrebet "mountain chain" (see Croat).

crochet (v.)

1848, intransitive, "to make a fabric by hooking a thread into meshes with a crochet-needle," from crochet (n.). Transitive sense of "to make in crochet-work" is by 1855. Related: Crocheted; crocheting.

crochet (n.)

"kind of knitting done with a needle with a hook at one end," 1846, from French crochet "small hook; canine tooth" (12c.), diminutive of croc "hook," from Old Norse krokr "hook," which is of obscure origin but perhaps related to the widespread group of Germanic kr- words meaning "bent, hooked." So called for the hooked needle used. Crochet-needle is from 1848; crochet-work from 1856; crochet-hook from 1849.

crock (n.)

Middle English crokke, from Old English crocc, crocca "pot, earthen vessel, pitcher, or jar," from Proto-Germanic *krogu "pitcher, pot" (source also of Old Frisian krocha "pot," Old Saxon kruka, Middle Dutch cruke, Dutch kruik, Old High German kruog "pitcher," German Krug, Old Norse krukka "pot"). These all are perhaps from the same source as Middle Irish crocan "pot," Greek krossos "pitcher," Old Church Slavonic krugla "cup."

Specifically a receptacle for meal, butter, milk, etc., or in cooking; usually an earthen vessel but sometimes of brass or iron.

Used as an image of worthless rubbish since 19c., perhaps from the use of crockery as chamberpots. But there were other uses of crock, of uncertain relationship, such as "an old ewe" (1520s, Scottish), used contemptuously of debilitated or invalid persons (19c.). Also compare Middle English croke, crok "a hull, husk," figuratively "refuse," Low German krak "a thing of no value," colloquial English crock "soot, smut" (1650s).

crockery (n.)

"earthen vessels collectively," 1719 (in crockery-ware); see crock + -ery. Especially ones made of glazed pottery or stoneware and for domestic use. Crocker, an old name for a potter, survives as a surname (late 13c.).

crocket (n.)

early 14c., croket, "ornamental roll or lock of hair," from Anglo-French crocket, from northern French form of Old French crochet, croquet, literally "a hook" (see crochet (n.)). In medieval architecture, "pointed ornamental device on a sloping pinnacle, gable, etc.," late 14c. Related: Crocketed.

crocodile (n.)

large amphibious reptile, reptile of the order Crocodilia, 1560s, a respelling (to conform to Latin and French) of Middle English cokedrille, cocodril, kokedrille, etc. (c. 1300), from Old French cocodrille (13c.) and Medieval Latin cocodrillus, from classical Latin crocodilus, from Greek krokodilos, a word of unknown origin. According to Herodotus, it was an Ionic name for a kind of lizard, transferred to the crocodile. Beekes writes that "Frisk's etymology as a compound from [krokē] 'gravel' and [drilos] 'worm' (with dissimilation) should be forgotten."

The name later was extended to related species in India, the Americas, etc. The crocodile tears story, figurative of false or simulated grief, was in English from at least c. 1400. Related: Crocodilian; crocodiline.

The word also figures in logic, as the name of a sophism of counter-questioning.

crocus (n.)

"flowering plant best known for producing the spice and dyestuff saffron," late 14c., from Latin crocus, from Greek krokos "crocus," also "saffron," a word probably of Semitic origin (compare Arabic kurkum), ultimately from Sanskrit kunkumam, unless the Sanskrit word is from the Semitic one. The autumnal crocus (Crocus sativa) was a common source of yellow dye in Roman times, and was perhaps grown in England, where the word existed as Old English croh, but this form of the word was forgotten by the time the plant was re-introduced in Western Europe by the Crusaders.

Croesus

from Latinized form of Greek Kroisos, 6c. B.C.E. king of Lydia in Asia Minor, famously wealthy; hence, from late 14c., "rich man" or in other allusions to riches.

croft (n.)

"small piece of enclosed ground for agricultural purposes, a very small farm," especially of those on the western coast and isles of Scotland. Old English croft "enclosed field, small field," of unknown etymology. Germanic and Celtic sources have been proposed.

Crofter "tenant who holds a small field, one who occupies a croft," especially "small farmer on the western coast and islands of Scotland," is by 1762 (from late 13c. as a surname), originally Scottish.

Crohn's disease (n.)

" chronic inflammatory condition of the digestive tract," 1935, for U.S. pathologist Burrill Bernard Crohn, one of the team that wrote the article describing it in 1932.

croissant (n.)

"buttery, flaky puff-pastry roll named for its crescent shape," 1899, see crescent.

Cro-Magnon

type of early modern human, 1869, named for the rock shelter site at Cro-Magnon, a hill in the Dordogne department near Les Eyzies, France, where several skeletons were found in 1868 and recognized as fossil Homo sapiens. The name is said to be from Occitan cro "cavity" + Magnon, a name of an owner of the land around the shelter.

cromlech (n.)

"structure consisting of a large, flat, unhewn stone resting horizontally atop three or more upright ones," c. 1600, from Welsh, from crom, fem. of crwm "crooked, bent, concave" + llech "(flat) stone." Applied in Wales and Cornwall to what in Brittany is a dolmen; a cromlech there is part of a circle of standing stones.

crone (n.)

late 14c., "a feeble and withered old woman," in Middle English a strong term of abuse, from Anglo-French carogne "carrion, carcass; an old ewe," also a term of abuse, from Old North French carogne, Old French charogne, term of abuse for a cantankerous or withered woman, also "old sheep," literally "carrion," from Vulgar Latin *caronia (see carrion).

Perhaps the "old ewe" sense is older than the "old woman" one in French, but the former is attested in English only from 16c. Since mid-20c. the word has been somewhat reclaimed in feminism and neo-paganism as a symbol of mature female wisdom and power.

crony (n.)

"old familiar friend, intimate companion," 1660s, chrony, Cambridge student slang, probably from Greek khronios "long-lasting," from khronos "time" (see chrono-), on the notion of "old friend" or "a contemporary."

Cronus

from Latinized form of Greek Kronos, youngest of the first generation of Titans, and their leader; a name of uncertain origin but probably not related to Khronos, personification of time, except in folk-etymology.

cronyism (n.)

1840, "friendship," from crony + -ism. Meaning "appointment of friends to important positions, regardless of ability" is originally American English, by 1952.

crook (n.)

c. 1200, "hook-shaped instrument or weapon; tool or utensil consisting of or having as an essential component a hook or curved piece of metal," from Old Norse krokr "hook, corner," cognate with Old High German kracho "hooked tool," of obscure origin but perhaps related to the widespread group of Germanic kr- words meaning "bent, hooked." If there was an Old English *croc it has not been found.

From late 14c. as "a bend or curved part;" late 15c. as "any bend, turn, or curve." From mid-15c. as "a shepherd's staff with a curved top." Meaning "swindler" is American English, 1879, from crooked in figurative sense of "dishonest, crooked in conduct" (1708). Crook "dishonest trick" was in Middle English, especially in reference to the wiles of the Devil.

crook (v.)

late 12c., "bend, cause to assume an angular or curved form," from crook (n.) or from an unrecorded Old English *crōcian. Intransitive sense of "to have a crooked shape, to bend or be bent" is from c. 1300. Crookback "hunchback" is from late 15c.

crooked (adj.)

early 13c., "bent, curved, in a bent shape," past-participle adjective from crook (v.). In the figurative sense of "dishonest, false, treacherous, not straight in conduct" is from c. 1200. Related: Crookedly; crookedness.

croon (v.)

c. 1400, "to speak or sing softly," originally Scottish; compare Middle Dutch kronen "to lament, mourn," Old High German kronen "babble." The relationship among them is obscure, perhaps all are imitative. In early use also "to bellow like a bull" as well as "to utter a low, murmuring sound" (mid-15c.). Popularized by Robert Burns. The medieval sense evolution might be from "to lament" to "sing softly and sadly." Related: Crooned; crooning.

crooner (n.)

type of popular singer, 1930, agent noun from croon.

crop (n.)

Old English cropp "head or top of a sprout or herb, any part of a medicinal plant except the root," also "bird's craw" (the common notion is "protuberance"), cognate with Old High German kropf, Old Norse kroppr.

"The word has a remarkable variety of special senses ..." [Century Dictionary]. OED writes that "OE. had only sense 1. 'craw of a bird' and 3. 'rounded head or top of a herb'; the latter is found also in High German dialects (Grimm, Kropf, 4c); the further developments of 'head or top' generally, and of 'produce of the field, etc.' appear to be exclusively English."

Meaning "grain and other cultivated plants grown and harvested" (especially "the grain yield of one year") is from early 14c. (in Anglo-Latin from early 13c.). Probably this sense development is via the verbal meaning "cut off the top of a plant" (c. 1200).

From the notion of "top" comes the sense "upper part of a whip," hence "handle of a whip" (1560s), hence "a kind of whip used by horsemen in the hunting field" (1857). "It is useful in opening gates, and differs from the common whip in the absence of a lash" [Century Dictionary].

General sense of "anything gathered when ready or in season" is from 1570s. Meaning "a thick, short head of hair" is from 1795. Meaning "top or highest part of anything" is from late 14c. In Middle English crop and rote "the whole plant, crop and root," was figurative of totality or perfection. Crop-circle is attested by 1974.

crop (v.)

c. 1200, "cut off the top of a plant," from crop (n.). Mid-14c. in reference to animals feeding on plants. The general meaning of "to cut off" is attested from mid-15c. Meaning "cut off a part of (the ear of an animal) as a mark of identification is from c. 1600. In reference to clipping of cloth, by 1711. Women's fashion crop top is attested from 1984.

With up, "to sprout, appear apparently without design from below the surface" is from 1844, said by OED to be from an earlier use in mining in reference to veins of ore or strata of rock, "come to the surface, become visible on the ground" (1660s). Related: Cropped; cropping.

cropper (n.)

"a fall, as in horseback riding, in which the rider is thrown over the horse's head," hence "a failure," 1858, perhaps from crop (n.) in the "top of the head" sense.

croquet (n.)

lawn game played with balls, mallets, hoops, and pegs, 1851, from French, from Northern French dialect croquet "hockey stick," from Old North French "shepherd's crook," from Old French croc (12c.), from Old Norse krokr "hook" (see crook (n.)). The game originated in Brittany and was popularized in Ireland c. 1830 in England c. 1850 and was very popular in the latter place until 1872.

croquette (n.)

"mass of finely minced and seasoned meat or fish made into small balls and fried," 1706, from French croquette (17c.), from croquer "to crunch" (imitative) + diminutive suffix -ette.

cross (n.)

Old English cros "instrument of Christ's crucifixion; symbol of Christianity" (mid-10c.), probably from Old Norse or another Scandinavian source, picked up by the Norse from Old Irish cros, from Latin crux (accusative crucem, genitive crucis) "stake, cross" on which criminals were impaled or hanged (originally a tall, round pole); hence, figuratively, "torture, trouble, misery;" see crux. Also from Latin crux are Italian croce, French croix, Spanish and Portuguese cruz, Dutch kruis, German Kreuz.

The modern word is the northern England form and has predominated. Middle English also had two other forms of the same word, arriving from the continent by different paths: cruche, crouche (c. 1200) was from Medieval Latin, with pronunciation as in Italian croce (compare Crouchmas "festival of the Invention of the Cross," late 14c.). Later, especially in southern England, the form crois, croice, from Old French, was the common one (compare croisade, the older form of crusade). The Old English word was rood.

By c. 1200 as "ornamental likeness of the cross, something resembling or in the form of a cross; sign of the cross made with the right hand or with fingers." From mid-14c. as "small cross with a human figure attached; a crucifix;" late 14c. as "outdoor structure or monument in the form of a cross." Also late 14c. as "a cross formed by two lines drawn or cut on a surface; two lines intersecting at right angles; the shape of a cross without regard to religious signification." From late 12c. as a surname.

From c. 1200 in English in the figurative sense "the burden of a Christian; any suffering voluntarily borne for Christ's sake; a trial or affliction; penance in Christ's name," from Matthew x.38, xvi.24, etc. Theological sense "crucifixion and death of Christ as a necessary part of his mission" is from late 14c.

As "a mixing of breeds in the production of animals" from 1760, hence broadly "a mixture of the characteristics of two different things" (1796). In pugilism, 1906, from the motion of the blow, crossing over the opponent's lead (1880s as a verb; cross-counter (n.) is from 1883). As "accidental contact of two wires belonging to different circuits," 1870.

cross (adj.)

1520s, in part a shortening of across, in part from the adverb (see cross (adv.)). Earliest sense is "falling athwart, lying athwart the main direction, passing from side to side." Meaning "intersecting, lying athwart each other" is from c. 1600.

Sense of "adverse, opposed, obstructing, contrary, opposite" is from 1560s; of persons, "peevish, ill-tempered," from 1630s, probably from the earlier senses of "contrary, athwart," especially with reference to winds and sailing ships. A 19c. emphatic form was cross as two sticks (1807), punning on the verb. Cross-grained is from 1670s of wood; as "opposed in nature or temper" from 1640s.

cross (v.)

c. 1200, "make the sign of a cross as an act of devotion," from cross (n.) and in part from French croiser. Sense of "to go across, pass from side to side of, pass over" is from c. 1400; that of "to cancel by drawing a line over or crossed lines over" is from mid-15c.

From late 14c. as "lie across; intersect;" also "place (two things) crosswise of each other; lay one thing across another." From early 15c. as "mark a cross on." Meaning "thwart, obstruct, hinder, oppose" is from 1550s. Meaning "to draw or run a line athwart or across" is from 1703. Also in Middle English in now-archaic sense "crucify" (mid-14c.), hence, figuratively, crossed "carrying a cross of affliction or penance."

Sense of "cause to interbreed" is from 1754. In telegraphy, electricity, etc., in reference to accidental contact of two wires on different circuits or different parts of a circuit that allows part of the current to flow from one to the other, from 1884. Meaning "to cheat" is by 1823.

Cross my heart as a vow is from 1898. To cross over as euphemistic for "to die" is from 1930. To cross (someone's) path "thwart, obstruct, oppose" is from 1818. Of ideas, etc., to cross (someone's) mind "enter into" (of an idea, etc.) is from 1768; the notion is of something entering the mind as if passing athwart it.

cross-

word-forming element typically representing cross as a noun, adverb (cross-examine), adjective (crossbar), and in many words a confluence of them. "There is no distinct line of division between cross as an adjective and cross as a prefix. As a prefix, it often represents the adv. cross, or the prep. cross, across." [Century Dictionary]

cross (adv.)

c. 1400, "to the side," from on cros, variant of across, and in part from cross (adj.). From c. 1600 as "in an adverse way."

crossing (n.)

mid-15c., "a making of the sign of a cross;" 1530s, "a marking with a cross," verbal noun from cross (v.). From early 15c. as "place or action of passing across;" 1630s as "place where (a river, a road, etc.) is crossed;" from 1690s as "intersection" (originally of streets). Meaning "action of crossing out by drawing crossed lines through" is from 1650s. Crossing-gate is from 1876.

crossed (adj.)

"made in the shape of a cross, marked by a line drawn across," past-participle adjective from cross (v.). Figurative sense of "thwarted" is from 1620s. To be crossed out "cancelled by crossing lines" is by 1780. Crossed wires as figurative of confusion, miscommunication is by 1910.

crossness (n.)

"disposition to be peevish," 1590s, from cross (adj.) + -ness.

crossbar (n.)

also cross-bar, "a transverse bar, bar laid or fixed transversely on another or others," mid-15c., from cross- + bar (n.1).

cross-beam (n.)

"large beam going from wall to wall; girder which holds the sides of a building or ship together," c. 1400, from cross- + beam (n.).

crossbones (n.)

also cross-bones, "figure of two thigh-bones laid across each other in the form of an X," 1798, from cross- + bone (n.).

crossbow (n.)

also cross-bow, "missile-throwing weapon consisting of a bow fixed athwart a stock," mid-15c., from cross (n.) + bow (n.1). Unknown to the ancients but common in Europe in the Middle Ages.

cross-breed (v.)

1670s, from cross- + breed (v.). As a noun from 1774. Related: Cross-breeding; cross-bred.

cross-bun (n.)

type of bun indented on top with an X, used especially on Good Friday, 1733, from cross (n.) + bun.

cross-check (n.)

1903 in research and accounting, from the verbal phrase, from cross (adv.) + check (v.1). As a verb in hockey, "obstruct by holding one's stick across an opponent," from 1901; as a noun by 1968. Related: Cross-checked; cross-checking.

cross-country (adj.)

1767, of roads, "lying or directed across fields or open country," from cross- + country, or a shortening of across-country. Of flights, from 1909. As a noun, "outdoor distance running as a sport," by 1956.

cross-current (n.)

"a current running across another," 1590s, from cross- + current (n.).

cross-cut (adj.)

"used for cutting crosswise," 1820, from cross (adv.) + cut (v.). As a verbal phrase, "to cut transversely," from 1590s. An old name for a cross-cut saw was thwart-saw (mid-15c.).

cross-dressing (n.)

also crossdressing, "dressing in clothes of the opposite sex," 1911, from cross- + dressing; a translation of German Transvestismus (see transvestite). As a verb, cross-dress is attested by 1966; the noun cross-dresser is by 1975.

cross-examine (n.)

"examine a witness (by the other side) to 'check' the effects of previous questioning," 1660s, from cross (adv.) in the sense "proceeding from an adverse party by way of reciprocal contest" + examine. Related: Cross-examination (1746).

cross-eyes

also crosseyes, "want of concordance in the optic axes, strabismus, the sort of squint in which both eyes turn toward the nose," 1826; perhaps derived from cross-eyed (1770); see cross- + eye (n.).

cross-fire (n.)

also crossfire, 1763, in military writing, "lines of fire from two or more positions which cross one another;" see cross- + fire (n.).

cross-hair (n.)

also crosshair, cross-hairs, "very fine line (originally spider's silk) stretched across the focal plane of a telescope or microscope, forming a cross with another," 1755 of a telescope, 1780 in gunnery, from cross- + hair (n.). Also often in early 19c. spider-line, spider's-line (1819).

cross-legged (adj.)

"having the legs crossed" (usually of seated persons), 1520s; see cross- + leg (n.).

crossly (adv.)

"irritably," 1730; earlier "adversely, unfavorably," also "athwart, intersecting something else" (both 1590s), from cross (adj.) + -ly (2).

cross-lots (adv., prep.)

"by a short cut directly through fields or open lots, not by roads and streets," 1825, from cross- + lot.

cross-over (n.)

also crossover, 1795, a term in calico-printing, "superimposed color in the form of stripes or crossbars," from the verbal phrase; see cross (v.) + over (adv.). From 1884 in railroading; from 1912 in biology. As a general adjective from 1893; specifically of musicians and genres from 1971.

cross-patch (n.)

also crosspatch, "peevish person," usually female, c. 1700, from cross (adj.) "ill-tempered" + patch (n.2) "professional jester," or possibly from or reinforced by patch (n.1) "piece."

cross-pollination (n.)

"transfer of pollen from the male reproductive organ of one plant to the female reproductive organ of another plant," 1880, from cross- + pollination.

cross-purpose (n.)

1680s, "an opposing or counter purpose, a conflicting intention or plan," from cross- + purpose (n.). It is attested earlier as the name of a popular parlor game (1660s), and the phrase be at cross-purposes "have conflicting plans to attain the same end" (1680s) might be from the game.

cross-reference (n.)

also crossreference, "a reference in a book to another part of it," 1834, from cross- + reference (n.). As a verb, "refer to by cross-reference," attested by 1851. Related: Cross-referenced; cross-referencing.

crossroad (n.)

also cross-road, 1680s, "road that crosses from one main road to another;" 1719 as "one of two or more roads that cross each other," from cross- + road. Meaning "place where two roads cross each other" is by 1808. Figurative sense "a turning point, a moment of decision" is from 1733.

crossroads (n.)

plural of crossroad (q.v.). By 1795 in the figurative sense of "a turning point, a moment of decision;" earlier than the literal sense "point where two roads intersect." Formerly the prescribed burial place for suicides. In U.S., used for "a crossroads and little more; small, dull town" by 1845.

cross-section (n.)

"section of something made by a plane passing through it at a right angle to one of its axes," 1748, originally in engineering sketches, from cross (adj.) + section (n.). Figurative sense of "representative sample" is by 1903.

cross-stitch (n.)

1710, in needlework, "a stitch in the form of an X; two stitches, one crossing the other in the middle," from cross- + stitch (n.). As a verb from 1794. Related: Cross-stitched; crossed-stitching.

cross-street (n.)

"a street crossing another," 1704, from cross- + street.

cross-tie (n.)

"transverse connecting piece of lumber," later especially "a railway tie, timber placed under opposite rails for support and to prevent spreading," from cross- + tie (n.).

cross-town (adj.)

also crosstown, "lying, leading, or going across town," 1865, in reference to New York City street railways, from cross- + town.

crossway (n.)

also cross-way, c. 1300, "a crossroad," from cross- + way (n.). Crossways (adv.) "crosswise, transversely," with adverbial genitive -s, is from c. 1300.

crosswalk (n.)

also cross-walk, 1744 a type of garden path that crosses others; 1853 as "pedestrian crossing," from cross- + walk (n.).

cross-wind (n.)

also crosswind, "a wind which blows across the direct course," 1725, from cross- + wind (n.1).

crosswise (adv.)

"in the shape of a cross, crisscross, crossing perpendicularly," late 14c.; see cross- + wise (n.).

crossword (adj.)

as the name of a game in which clues suggests words that are written in overlapping horizontal and vertical boxes in a grid, January 1914, from cross (adj.) + word (n.). The first one ran in the "New York World" newspaper Dec. 21, 1913, but was called word-cross. As a noun, 1925, short for crossword puzzle.

crotch (n.)

1530s, "pitchfork," from Old North French croche "shepherd's crook," variant of croc "hook," from Old Norse krokr "hook," which is of obscure origin but perhaps related to the widespread group of Germanic kr- words meaning "bent, hooked."

From 1570s as "any fork or forking," especially "a parting of branches of a tree;" meaning "region where the body forks" is attested from 1590s. Hence crotchcutter "women's bathing suit with leg openings which reach above the hips" (by 1997).

crotchet (n.)

early 14c., "small hook;" mid-15c. "a staff with a hook at the end," from Old French crochet (pronounced "crotchet") "small hook; canine tooth" (12c.), diminutive of croc "hook," from Old Norse krokr "hook," which is of obscure origin but perhaps related to the widespread group of Germanic kr- words meaning "bent, hooked."

As a curved surgical instrument with a sharp hook, from 1750. Figurative use in musical notation for "quarter note" is from mid-15c., from the shape of the notes. Also from 1670s in now-obsolete sense "one of the pair of marks now called 'brackets.'"

Meaning "whimsical fancy, singular opinion," especially one held by someone who has no competency to form a sound one, is from 1570s; the sense is uncertain, perhaps it is the same mechanical image in extended senses of crank; but other authorities link it to the musical notation one (think: "too many notes").

crotchety (adj.)

"characterized by odd fancies, eccentric in thought," 1825, from crotchet "whim or fancy" + -y (2). Related: Crotchetiness. *Crotchetily seems little used, but it is an ugly word.

crouch (v.)

"to stoop low, lie close to the ground," late 14c., probably from Old French crochir "become bent, crooked," from croche "hook" (see crochet). Related: Crouched; crouching. As a noun, "a crouching position," from 1590s.

croup (n.)

"coughing illness," a name given to various diseases involving interference at the glottis with respiration," 1765, from obsolete verb croup "to cry hoarsely, croak" (1510s), probably echoic. This was the local name of the disease in southeastern Scotland, given wide currency by Dr. Francis Home (1719-1813) of Edinburgh in his 1765 treatise on it. Related: Croupy.

croupier (n.)

"one who clears the winnings from the table in gambling," 1731, from French croupier "partner or assistant at the gaming table" (17c.), originally one who rides behind another, on the croup or "rump" of a horse (a word of Germanic origin); hence extended to any one who backs up another; a "second."

crouton (n.)

1806, from French croûton "small piece of toasted bread," used in soups, salads, etc., from croûte "crust," from Old French crouste (13c.), from Latin crusta "rind, crust, shell, bark" (from PIE root *kreus- "to begin to freeze, form a crust").

crow (n.)

general common name of birds of the genus Corvus (the larger sort being sometimes called ravens), Old English crawe, which is held to be imitative of the bird's cry. Compare Old Saxon kraia, Dutch kraai, Old High German chraja, German Kräke. Also other imitative bird-names such as Greek krex, krekos.

Noted for sagacity and sociability. The British and North American species are very similar. Phrase as the crow flies "in a straight line" is from 1810; the image is attested in different form from 1800.

American English figurative phrase eat crow "do or accept what one vehemently dislikes and has opposed defiantly, accept things which, though not unbearable, are yet scarcely to be wished for," is attested by 1870 (originally often eat boiled crow), and seems to be based on the notion that the bird is edible when boiled but hardly agreeable.

There was an oft-reprinted mid-19c. joke about a man who, to settle a bet that he could eat anything, agrees to eat a boiled crow. As he with great difficulty swallows the first to mouthfuls, he says to the onlookers, "I can eat crow, but I don't hanker arter it." The joke is attested by 1854 (Walter Etecroue turns up 1361 in the Calendar of Letter Books of the City of London).

The image of a crow's foot for the wrinkles appearing with age at the corner of the eye is from late 14c. ("So longe mote ye lyve Til crowes feet be growen under youre ye." [Chaucer, Troilus and Criseyde, c. 1385]).

crow (v.)

Old English crawan "make a loud noise like a crow," probably imitative (see crow (n.)). Compare Dutch kraaijen, German krähen. From mid-13c. as "make a loud noise like a cock," which oddly has become the main sense, the use of the word in reference to crows (and cranes) having faded. Sense of "exult in triumph" is from 1520s, probably an image of the cock's crow, but perhaps also in part because the English crow is a carrion-eater. Related: Crowed; crowing. As a noun, "characteristic cry of the cock," also "the crowing of the cock at dawn," c. 1200.

Crow

Indian tribe of the American Midwest, the name is a rough translation of their own name, Apsaruke.

crowbar (n.)

also crow-bar, "bar of iron with a wedge-shaped end," 1748, with bar (n.1), earlier simply crow (c. 1400); so called from its "beak" or from resemblance to a crow's foot; or possibly it is from crows, from Old French cros, plural of croc "hook."

crowd (v.)

Old English crudan "to press, crush." Cognate with Middle Dutch cruden, Dutch kruijen "to press, push," Middle High German kroten "to press, oppress," Norwegian kryda "to crowd." Related: Crowded; crowding.

crowd (n.)

1560s, "large group of persons, multitude," from crowd (v.). The earlier word was press (n.). Crowd (n.) was used earlier in the now-archaic sense of "act of pressing or shoving" (c. 1300). From 1650s as "any group or company of persons contemplated in a mass." Crowd-pleaser is by 1924; crowd-control is by 1915; crowd-surf (v.) is by 1995; crowdsourcing (n.) is from 2006.

crowdfund (v.)

by 2011, from crowd (n.) + fund (v.). Related: Crowdfunded; crowdfunding.

crown (n.)

early 12c., coroune, croune, "royal crown, ornament for the head as a symbol of sovereignty," from Anglo-French coroune, Old French corone (13c., Modern French couronne) and directly from Latin corona "crown," originally "wreath, garland," related to Greek korōnē "anything curved, a kind of crown."

According to Watkins this is from a suffixed form of PIE root *sker- (2) "to turn, bend." But Beekes considers the "crown" sense as derived from the formally identical Greek word korōnē "crow" (see raven), which, he says, was used metaphorically "of all kinds of curved or hook-formed objects." "Moreover," he writes, "the metaphorical use of [korōnē] 'crow' is nothing remarkable given the use of its cognates ...; the metaphors may have originated from the shape of the beak or the claws of the bird." Compare Latin corax "crow," also "a hooked engine of war," French corbeau "raven," also "cantilever;" English crowbar, etc.

Old English used corona, directly from Latin. Figuratively, "regal power," from c. 1200. From late 14c. as "a crowning honor or distinction." From c. 1300 as "top part of the skull or head;" from 1670s as "top of a hat." From 1804 as "part of a tooth which appears above the gum."

Extended late 14c. to "coin bearing the imprint of a crown or a crowned head," especially the British silver 5-shilling piece. Also the name of monetary units in Iceland, Sweden (krona), Norway, Denmark (krone), and formerly in German Empire and Austria-Hungary (krone). Crown of thorns was late Old English þornene crune.

crown (v.)

"bestow a crown or garland upon," late Old English corounen, from Old French coroner, from corone (see crown (n.)). Related: Crowned; crowning. The latter in its sense of "that makes complete" is from 1650s.

crown-prince (n.)

"eldest son or other heir-apparent of a monarch," 1791, a translation of German kronprinz; see crown (n.) + prince.

crows-nest (n.)

"box fitted up the maintopmast or maintopgallant on arctic and whaling vessels for the shelter of the lookout man," 1818; see crow (n.) + nest (n.).

crozier (n.)

"long staff ending in a hook or curve, carried by or before a bishop or archbishop on solemn occasions," late 13c., croiser (mid-13c. as a surname), "one who bears a bishop's staff, prelate's crosier-bearer," from Old French crocier, from Medieval Latin crociarius "bearer of a cross," from crocia "cross;" also from Old French croisier "one who bears or has to do with a cross" (see cross (n.)). The two words merged in Middle English. Technically, "the bearer of a bishop's pastoral staff;" erroneously applied to the staff itself since 1733.

cru (n.)

"French vineyard," 1824, from French cru "vineyard," literally "growth" (16c.), from Old French crois (12c.; Modern French croît), from croiss-, stem of croistre "growth, augment, increase," ultimately from Latin crescere "come forth, spring up, grow, thrive" (from PIE root *ker- (2) "to grow").

crucial (adj.)

1706, "cross-shaped, having the form of an X," from French crucial, a medical term for ligaments of the interior of the knee-joint (which cross each other), from Latin crux (genitive crucis) "cross" (see crux).

The meaning "decisive, critical, finally disproving one of two alternative suppositions" (1830) is extended from a logical term, Instantias Crucis, adopted by Francis Bacon (1620); the notion is of cross fingerboard signposts at forking roads, thus a requirement to choose.

cruciate (adj.)

"cross-shaped, having the form of a cross with equal arms," 1826, from Modern Latin cruciatus, from Latin crux (genitive crucis) "cross" (see crux (n.)). Obsolete meaning "tormented" is 1530s, from Latin cruciat-, past participle stem of cruciare "cause pain or anguish to," literally "crucify," from crux. Related: Cruciately; cruciation.