crow
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crow¹
- /kɹəʊ/ UK
- /kɹoʊ/ US
Sounds like cro, Crow · Rhymes with -əʊ
Where it comes from
From Middle English crowe, from Old English crāwe, from Proto-West Germanic *krāā, from Proto-Germanic *krēǭ (compare West Frisian krie, Dutch kraai, German Krähe), from *krēaną (“to crow”). See below.
The verb is a back-formation from crowbar.
noun crows
- A bird, usually black, of the genus Corvus, having a strong conical beak, with projecting bristles; it has a harsh, croaking call. Gaslark in his splendour on the golden stairs saying adieu to those three captains and their matchless armament foredoomed to dogs and crows on Salapanta Hills.
- Any of various dark-coloured nymphalid butterflies of the genus Euploea.
-
A bar of iron with a beak, crook or claw; a bar of iron used as a lever; a crowbar.
He approached the humble tomb in which Antonia reposed. He had provided himself with an iron crow and a pick-axe: but this precaution was unnecessary.
Similar: crowbar
- Someone who keeps watch while their associates commit a crime; a lookout. “Ay,” put in a young man, who had the reputation of being the smartest “crow” in London—“‘fishers of men,’ as the parson says.”
- A gangplank (corvus) used by the Ancient Roman navy to board enemy ships.
- The mesentery of an animal.
-
An ill-tempered and obstinate woman, or one who otherwise has features resembling the bird; a harpy.
But it helps a man along to have a wife he can be proud of. Suppose you marry some old crow. People point at her and ask, 'Who is that death's head yonder?'
Similar: battle axe, bitch, brim, brimstone, cat, cockatrice, crow, dragon, faggot, fishwife, harpy, harridan
- A black person.
- The emblem of an eagle, a sign of military rank. A young petty officer that must have just received his “crow” (a single chevron, with an eagle over it) was showing off to several seamen.
adjective
- Dark black, the color of a crow; crow-black. "Though her crow hair is lovely and wavy, she loathes it and craves yellow locks. Since she saw Hugh, she's given me no peace.” Sheffield's square , good-looking face shaped a grimace.
verb crows · crowing · crowed
-
To use a crowbar, wedge, or other implement to attempt to open a surface by leveraging force on the opposite end of the tool to pry off the connection between the two surfaces.
If you wanna get inside, you're gonna have to crow open that door.
Similar: prise / prize, pry
crow²
- /kɹəʊ/ UK
- /kɹoʊ/ US
Sounds like cro, Crow · Rhymes with -əʊ
Where it comes from
The verb is from Middle English crowen, from Old English crāwan (past tense crēow, past participle crāwen), from Proto-West Germanic *krāan, from Proto-Germanic *krēaną, from imitative Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”).
The noun is from Middle English crowe, from the verb.
Compare Dutch kraaien, German krähen, Lithuanian gróti, Russian гра́ять (grájatʹ)). Related to croak.
verb crows · crowing · crowed · crew
- To make the shrill sound characteristic of a rooster; to make a sound in this manner, either in gaiety, joy, pleasure, or defiance. Yet once me thought it [the ghost of Hamlet's father] was about to ſpeake, / And lifted vp his head to motion, / Like as he would ſpeake, but euen the / The morning cocke crew lowd, and in all haſte / It ſhrunke in haſte away, and vaniſhed / Our ſight.
- To shout in exultation or defiance; to brag. He’s been crowing all day about winning the game of cards.
- To test the reed of a double reed instrument by placing the reed alone in the mouth and blowing it.
noun crows
-
The cry or call of a rooster or a cockerel, especially as heard at sunrise.
Similar: cock-a-doodle-doo
crow³
- /kɹəʊ/ UK
- /kɹoʊ/ US
Sounds like cro, Crow · Rhymes with -əʊ
noun
- Alternative spelling of cro (“marijuana”). My young boys hop out the ride in a crop yard searching, tryna find this crow
Crow⁴
- /kɹoʊ/
Sounds like cro, crow · Rhymes with -əʊ
Where it comes from
From French gens de corbeaux, calque of Dakota apsáaloke (“crow people”). Compare Crow Apsáalooke.
noun Crows · Crow
-
A member of a Native American tribe of southern Montana.
He became a captive of a small raiding party of Crow Indians.
Similar: Crow Indian, Absaroka, Absáalooke, Apsáalooke
proper noun
-
The Siouan language of this tribe.
Similar: Absaroki
Crow⁵
Where it comes from
* From Middle English Crowe, as an Old English surname, related to crow.
* As an Irish surname, from mac Conchradha. See McEnroe.
* Also as an Irish surname, calque of Irish fiach (“crow, raven”) (see also Fee).
proper noun
- A surname.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: vaporing, corvus, gloat, bragging, brag, triumph, line-shooting, nest, eagle, raven, blackbird, mushroom, blood, carrion, scare, exult
Translations
Every language
noun any bird of the genus Corvus
| Español | corneja, cuervo |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 까마귀 kkamagwi |
| 日本語 | 烏 karasu, 慈鳥 jichō |
| 中文 | 烏鴉 /乌鸦 wūyā |
| हिन्दी | कौआ kauā, कौवा kauvā, काग kāg, काक kāk |
| Kiswahili | kunguru |
| Português | gralha-preta, corvo |
| Français | corneille, corbeau |
| Deutsch | Krähe, Krähenvogel |
| Italiano | cornacchia, corvo |
| Ελληνικά | κουρούνα kouroúna |
| Română | cioară |
| Русский | воро́на voróna |
| Tiếng Việt | quạ |
| العربية | غُرَاب ḡurāb, زَاغ zāḡ |
| עברית | עוֹרֵב orév |
noun bar of iron
| Español | palanca |
|---|---|
| Português | pé de cabra |
| Français | pied-de-biche |
| Deutsch | Brecheisen, Nageleisen, Brechstange, Kuhfuß, Hebeleisen |
| Italiano | piede di porco |
| Ελληνικά | λοστός lostós |
| Русский | лом lom |
verb to make the sound of a rooster
| Español | cacarear |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 打鳴 /打鸣 dǎmíng |
| Kiswahili | kuwika |
| Português | cantar |
| Français | chanter |
| Deutsch | krähen |
| Ελληνικά | λαλώ laló, κράζω krázo |
| Русский | кукаре́кать kukarékatʹ |
| Tiếng Việt | gáy |
| العربية | صَاحَ ṣāḥa |
| עברית | קָרָא qará |
verb to utter a sound of joy
| Deutsch | jauchzen, juchzen, jubeln, jubilieren, frohlocken, johlen |
|---|
verb to shout or brag
| Deutsch | krähen, herauskrähen, jubilieren, jubeln, protzen, triumphieren |
|---|---|
| Ελληνικά | θριαμβολογώ thriamvologó |
| Русский | бахвалиться baxvalitʹsja |
noun Translations
| Deutsch | Krähenindianer |
|---|
Talk about this word "crow." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/crow. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. crow. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/crow "crow." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/crow.Cite this
@misc{crow_2026,
title = {crow},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/crow},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
