crow

¹

[ kroh ]

noun

1. any of several large oscine birds of the genus Corvus, of the family Corvidae, having a long, stout bill, lustrous black plumage, and a wedge-shaped tail, as the common C. brachyrhynchos, of North America.
2. any of several other birds of the family Corvidae.
3. any of various similar birds of other families.
4. Crow, Astronomy. the constellation Corvus.
5. crowbar ( def 1 ).

crow

²

[ kroh ]

verb (used without object)

crowed (especially British,) crewcrowedcrowing

1. to utter the characteristic cry of a rooster.
2. to gloat, boast, or exult (often followed by over ).

   Synonyms: brag, vaunt

3. to utter an inarticulate cry of pleasure, as an infant does.

noun

1. the characteristic cry of a rooster.
2. an inarticulate cry of pleasure.

Crow

³

[ kroh ]

noun

1. a member of a Siouan people of eastern Montana.
2. a Siouan language closely related to Hidatsa.

crow

¹

/ krəʊ /

noun

1. any large gregarious songbird of the genus Corvus, esp C. corone (the carrion crow) of Europe and Asia: family Corvidae . Other species are the raven, rook, and jackdaw and all have a heavy bill, glossy black plumage, and rounded wings See also carrion crow corvine
2. any of various other corvine birds, such as the jay, magpie, and nutcracker
3. any of various similar birds of other families
4. offensive.
   an old or ugly woman
5. short for crowbar
6. as the crow flies
   as directly as possible
7. eat crow informal.
   to be forced to do something humiliating
8. stone the crows
   stone

crow

²

/ krəʊ /

verb

1. past tense crowed or crew to utter a shrill squawking sound, as a cock
2. often foll by over to boast one's superiority
3. (esp of babies) to utter cries of pleasure

noun

1. the act or an instance of crowing

Crow

³

/ krəʊ /

noun

1. CrowsCrow a member of a Native American people living in E Montana
2. the language of this people, belonging to the Siouan family

Derived Forms

• ˈcrowingly, adverb
• ˈcrower, noun

Other Words From

• crower noun
• crowing·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of crow¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English crowe, Old English crāwe, crāwa; cognate with Old High German krāwa; akin to Dutch kraai, German Krähe

Origin of crow²

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crouen, crowen, Old English crāwan; cognate with Dutch kraaien, German krähen; crow ¹

Origin of crow³

1795–1805; translation of North American French ( gens des ) Corbeaux Raven (people), literal translation of Crow apsá˙loke a Crow Indian

Word History and Origins

Origin of crow¹

Old English crāwa; related to Old Norse krāka, Old High German krāia, Dutch kraai

Origin of crow²

Old English crāwan; related to Old High German krāen, Dutch kraaien

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. as the crow flies, in a straight line; by the most direct route:

   The next town is thirty miles from here, as the crow flies.

2. eat crow, Informal. to be forced to admit to having made a mistake, as by retracting an emphatic statement; suffer humiliation:

   His prediction was completely wrong, and he had to eat crow.

3. have a crow to pick / pluck with someone, Midland and Southern U.S. to have a reason to disagree or argue with someone.

More idioms and phrases containing crow

In addition to the idiom beginning with crow , also see as the crow flies ; eat crow .

Example Sentences

“So much of what we see is the long tail of slavery and Jim Crow,” said Andrea Ducas, vice president of health policy at the Center for American Progress, a nonprofit think tank.

From Salon

But he repeatedly questioned the approach the author took in his book, which compares Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank to the Jim Crow era of segregation in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

But he questioned the approach the author took in his book, which compares Israel’s treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank to the Jim Crow era of segregation in the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times

But the lies didn’t end in the Jim Crow era.

From Salon

Apart from “Megalopolis,” Lionsgate has fielded a number of bombs this year, including “Borderlands” and “The Crow.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• boast
• brag
• exult
• gloat
• squawk
• strut