crew

¹

[ kroo ]

noun

1. a group of persons involved in a particular kind of work or working together:

   the crew of a train;

   a wrecking crew.

2. Nautical.
   1. the people who sail or operate a ship or boat.
   2. the common sailors of a ship's company.
   3. a particular gang of a ship's company.
3. the people who fly or operate an aircraft or spacecraft.
4. the team that rows a racing shell:

   varsity crew.

5. the sport of racing with racing shells:

   He went out for crew in his freshman year.

6. a company; crowd:

   He and his crew of friends filled the room.

7. any force or band of armed men.

verb (used with object)

1. to serve as a member of a crew on (a ship, aircraft, etc.).
2. to obtain or employ a crew for (a ship, aircraft, etc.).

verb (used without object)

1. to serve as a member of a crew.

crew

²

[ kroo ]

verb

1. a simple past tense of crow ².

crew

¹

/ kruː /

verb

1. a past tense of crow 2

crew

²

/ kruː /

noun

1. the men who man a ship, boat, aircraft, etc
2. nautical a group of people assigned to a particular job or type of work
3. informal.
   a gang, company, or crowd

verb

1. to serve on (a ship) as a member of the crew

Grammar Note

See collective noun.

Other Words From

• crewless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crew¹

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English crewe “augmentation,” hence “reinforcements, body of soldiers,” from Middle French creue, literally, “an increase,” noun use of feminine of Old French creu “grown, increased,” past participle of creistre “to grow,” from Latin crēscere; crescent

Word History and Origins

Origin of crew¹

C15 crue (military) reinforcement, from Old French creue augmentation, from Old French creistre to increase, from Latin crescere

Example Sentences

The corporation has thanked all the cast and crew, while stressing it remained "fully committed" to TV production in the West Midlands.

From BBC

He is of course, referring to Homer's epic poem that follows the travels of Odysseus and his crew, who faced perils such a the monster Scylla and giant whirlpool Charybdis.

From Salon

The charity said its crews had been transporting three patients with gunshot wounds to a MSF hospital on Monday when they were stopped by authorities and forced to go instead to a public hospital.

From BBC

Scott orchestrates something like this in the movie, pitting the crews of two ships, one manned by Roman soldiers, the other by gladiators, against each other.

From Los Angeles Times

Lesley Reynolds, the charity’s director of operations, thanked crews for “valiantly battling the inferno with an incredible emergency plan in place”.

From BBC

Related Words

• band
• company
• corps
• crowd
• gang
• squad
• team
• troop