crake

[ kreyk ]

noun

1. any of several short-billed rails, especially the corn crake.

crake

/ kreɪk /

noun

1. zoology any of several rails that occur in the Old World, such as the corncrake and the spotted crake

Word History and Origins

Origin of crake¹

1275–1325; Middle English < Old Norse krākr, krāki crow ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of crake¹

C14: from Old Norse krāka crow or krākr raven, of imitative origin

Example Sentences

She writes: “Try pronouncing it three times, thus: Oryx oryx oryx. Crake crake crake. You see?”

From New York Times

All that is winged, even the grating corn crake, is painted with a mystical birder’s unworldly rose-colored pianistic glasses.

From Los Angeles Times

The catalogue includes rare species such as the Henderson crake, which lives on only one small Pacific island.

From BBC

The Cedar Beach bird was only the second corn crake recorded in New York State since Grover Cleveland was president.

From New York Times

And like the sea they teemed with invisible life: warblers, bitterns, spotted crakes, otters, water voles and marshland insects like reed leopard moths.

From New York Times