crest-fall-en (krest'fô'lən), adj. 1. dejected; dispirited; depressed. 2. with drooping crest. —crest'fall'en-ly, adv.
crest-ing (kres'tiŋ), n. 1. Archit. a decorative coping, balustrade, etc., usually designed to give an interesting skyline. 2. Furniture. ornamentation carved or sawed in or added to the top rail of a piece of furniture.
cre-ta-ceous (kri tā'shəs), adj. 1. of the nature of, resembling, or containing chalk. 2. (cap.) Geol. noting or pertaining to a period of the Mesozoic era occurring from 70,000,000 to 135,000,000 years ago and characterized by the extinction of the giant reptiles and the advent of modern insects. See table at era. —n. 3. (cap.) Geol. the Cretaceous period or system. [< L crētāceus = crēt(a) chalk (lit., Cretan earth) + -āceus -ACEOUS] —cre-ta'ceous-ly, adv.
Crete (krēt), n. a Greek island in the Mediterranean, SE of Greece. 483,258 (1961); 3235 sq. mi. Cap.: Canea. Also called Candia. —Cre'tan, adj., n.
cre-tin (krēt'ən, krē'tin), n. 1. a person suffering from cretinism. 2. a stupid, obtuse, or mentally defective person. [< F; Swiss F creitin, crestin lit., Christian, i.e., a human being though an idiot] —cre'ti-noid', adj. —cre'tin-ous, adj.
cre-tin-ism (krēt'əniz'əm), n. Pathol. a chronic disease due to absence or deficiency of the normal thyroid secretion, characterized by physical deformity, dwarfism, idiocy, and, often, goiter. [< F crétinisme]
cre-tonne (kri ton', krē'ton), n. a heavy cotton material in printed designs, used esp. for drapery and slip covers. [< F, after Creton, Norman village where it was produced]
Cre-ü-sa (krē ü'sə), n. Class. Myth. 1. Also called Glauce, the bride of Jason, slain by the magic of the jealous Medea. 2. a daughter of Priam and the wife of Aeneas.
cre-val-le (kra val'ē, -val'ə), n., pl. (esp. collectively) -le, (esp. referring to two or more kinds or species) -les, any of several marine fishes of the jack family, Carangidae. [var. of cavalla < Sp caballa horse mackerel < caballo horse < L caballus]
cre-vasse (kra vas'), n., v., -vassed, -vas-sing. —n. 1. a fissure or deep cleft in glacial ice or the earth's surface. 2. a breach in an embankment or levee. —v.t. 3. to fissure with crevasses. [< F; see CREVICE]
Crève-coeur (krev koər'), n. Michel Guil-laume Jean de (mē shel' gē yōm' zhān də), (pen name: J. Hector St. John), 1735-1813, French writer, statesman, and agriculturalist; in U.S. after 1754.
crev-ice (krev'is), n. a crack forming an opening; cleft; fissure. [ME crevace < MF, OF < crev(er) (to) crack (< L crepāre) + -asse n. suffix] —crev'iced, adj.
crew¹ (kroō), n. 1. a group of persons involved in a particular kind of work or working together: the crew of a train; a wrecking crew. 2. Naut. a. the company of men who man a ship or boat. b. one or all of the common sailors of a ship's company. 3. the team that mans a racing shell: varsity crew. 4. the sport of racing with racing shells: He went out for crew in his freshman year. 5. Archaic. any force or band of armed men. 6. Informal. a company; crowd. —v.i. 7. to serve as crew. [late ME creue augmentation, hence reinforcements, body of soldiers < MF creue increase, n. use of fem. of OF creu, ptp. of creistre to grow < L crescere; see CRESCENT]
crew² (kroō), v. a pt. of crow².
crew' cut', a man's haircut in which the hair is closely cropped.
crew-el (kroō'ēl), n. 1. Also called crew'el yarn', a worsted yarn for embroidery and edging. 2. crewelwork. [late ME crule] —crew'el-ist, n. —crew'el-like', adj.
crew-el-work (kroō'ēl wūrk'), n. decorative embroidery done with worsted yarn on cotton or linen, using simple stitches worked in floral designs. [late ME crule yarn]
crew' neck', a collarless neckline, as on a sweater or jersey, that fits snugly at the base of the neck. —crew'-neck', crew'-necked', adj.
crib (krib), n., v., cribbed, crib-bing. —n. 1. a child's bed with enclosed sides. 2. a stall or pen for cattle. 3. a rack or manger for fodder, as in a stable or barn. 4. a small house or room. 5. any confined space. 6. a wicker basket. 7. Building Trades, Civil Engineering, any of various cellular frameworks assembled in layers at right angles, used in the construction of foundations, dams, retaining walls, etc. 8. a lining for a well or other shaft. 9. a bin for storing grain, salt, etc. 10. a barrier projecting part of the way into a river and then upward, acting to reduce the flow of water and as a storage place for logs being floated downstream. 11. Brit., Australian, lunch carried from home and eaten by a laborer on the job; snack. 12. Informal. a petty theft, plagiarism, etc. 13. Informal. a translation, list of correct answers, or other illicit aid used by students, as while reciting, taking exams, or the like; pony. 14. Cribbage. a set of cards made up by equal contributions from each player's hand and belonging to the dealer. —v.t. 15. to confine in or as in a crib. 16. to provide with a crib or cribs. 17. to line with timber or planking. 18. Informal. to pilfer or steal, esp. to plagiarism (another's writings or ideas). —v.i. 19. Informal. to use a crib in translating. 20. (of a horse) to practice cribbing. 21. Informal. to steal; plagiarism. [ME cribbe, OE crib(b); c. D krib, G Krippe] —crib'ber, n.
crib-bage (krib'ij), n. a card game, basically for two players in which the object is to make counting combinations for points that are scored on a small board (crib'bage board') having holes for pegs.
crib-bing (krib'ing), n. 1. Also called crib-bit-ing (krib'bi'tiŋ), wind-sucking, an injurious habit in which a horse bites its manger and as a result swallows air. 2. Mining. a. a timber lining, closely spaced, as in a shaft. b. pieces of timber for lining a shaft, raise, etc. 3. a system of cribs, as for a building or the like having its foundations rebuilt.
crib-ri-form (krib'rə fôrm'), adj. sievelike. Also, crib-rous (krib'rəs). [< L cribr(um) a sieve + -i- + -FORM]
Crich-ton (krīt'ən), n. James ('the Admirable Crichton'), 1560?-82, Scottish scholar, adventurer, and linguist.
crick¹ (krik), n. 1. a sharp, painful spasm of the muscles, as of the neck or back, making it difficult to move the part. —v.t. 2. to give a crick or wrench to (the neck, back, etc.). [late ME crikke, perh. akin to CRICK²]
crick² (krik), n. U.S. Dial. creek (def. 1).
Crick (krik), n. Francis Harry Compton, born 1916, English biophysicist; Nobel prize for medicine 1962.
crick-et¹ (krik'it), n. 1. any of several saltatorial, orthopterous insects of the family Gryllidae, characterized by long antennae and stridulating organs on the forewings of the male. 2. a metal toy consisting of a convex metal piece with a flat metal spring fastened to it at one side that snaps back and forth with a clicking, cricketlike noise when pressed. [ME criket insect < MF criquet = criqu(er) (to) creak (imit.) + -et -ET]
crick-et² (krik'it), n. 1. a game for two teams of 11 members each that is played on a large field having two wickets 22 yards apart, the object being to score runs by batting the ball far enough so that one is enabled to exchange wickets with the batsman defending the opposite wicket before the ball is recovered. 2. fair play; gentlemanly conduct: It wouldn't be cricket to give away his secret. —v.i. 3. to play cricket. [< MF criquet goal post < MFlem krick kind of stick; see -ET] —crick'et-er, n.
crick-et³ (krik'it), n. a small, low stool. [?]
cri-coid (kri'koid), Anat. —n. 1. a ring-shaped cartilage at the lower part of the larynx. —adj. 2. of or pertaining to the cricoid cartilage. [< NL cricoid(es) < Gk krikoeidēs ring-shaped]
cried (kri'd), v. pt. of cry.
cri-er (kri'ēr), n. 1. a person who cries. 2. a court or town official who makes public announcements. 3. a hawker. [ME criere < OF]
crim., criminal.
crime (krim), n. 1. an action or an instance of negligence that is deemed injurious to the public welfare or morals or to the interests of the state and that is legally prohibited. 2. the habitual or frequent performance of crimes: a life of crime. 3. criminal activity and those engaged in it. 4. any offense, esp. one of grave character. 5. serious wrong-doing; sin. 6. Informal. a foolish, senseless, or shameful act: It's a crime to overfeed a dog like that. [ME < OF < L crīmin- (s. of crīmen) charge, guilt, crime]
—Syn. 1. wrong; misdemeanor, tort, felony. CRIME, OFFENSE agree in meaning a breaking of law. CRIME usually means any serious violation of human laws: the crime of treason, of robbery. OFFENSE is used of an infraction of either human or divine law: an offense leading to a jail sentence; an offense against morals.
Cri-me-a (kri mē'ə, kri-), n. 1. a peninsula in the SW Soviet Union in Europe, between the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. 2. a former autonomous republic of the Soviet Union, now a region of the Ukraine, ab. 10,000 sq. mi. —Cri-me'an, adj.
Crime'an War', a war (1853-56) fought by Great Britain, France, Turkey, and Sardinia against Russia, chiefly in the Crimea.
crim-f-nal (krim'ə nəl), adj. 1. Law. of or pertaining to crime or its punishment. 2. of the nature of or involving crime. 3. guilty of crime. 4. Informal. senseless; foolish: It's criminal to waste so much time. —n. 5. a person guilty or convicted of a crime. [late ME < LL crīmināl(is)] —crim'i-nal-ly, adv. —Syn. 2. felonious, unlawful, illegal. 5. convict, culprit, felon, crook, gangster. —Ant. 2. lawful. 3. innocent.
crim'inal assault', Law. 1. an attack by physical force on a person for which the attacker is liable to criminal prosecution. 2. a similar act with intent to commit rape.
crim'inal contempt', Law. an act considered to be committed against the dignity or authority of a court and liable to punishment imposed by a judge.
crim'inal conversa'tion, Civil Law. adultery.
crim-i-nal-i-ty (krim'ə nal'i tē), n., pl. -ties for 2. 1. the quality or state of being criminal. 2. a criminal act or practice. [< ML crīminālitās]
crim'inal law', laws dealing with criminal offenses and their punishments.
crim-f-nate (krim'ə nāt'), v.t., -nat-ed, -nat-ing. 1. to charge with a crime. 2. to incriminate. 3. to censure (something) as criminal; condemn. [< L crīmināt(us) accused, ptp. of crīmināri] —crim'i-na'tion, n. —crim'i-na'tive, crim-i-na-tor-y (krim'ə nə tōr'ē, -tōr'ē), adj. —crim'i-na'tor, n.
crim-i-nol-o-gy (krim'ə nol'ə jē), n. the study of crime and criminals. [< L crīmin- (s. of crīmen; see CRIME) + -o- + -LOGY] —crim-i-no-log-i-cal (krim'ə nə loj'i kəl), crim'i-no-log'ic, adj. —crim'i-no-log'ic-ly, adv. —crim'i-nol'o-gist, n.
crim-mer (krim'ēr), n. krimmer.
crimp¹ (krimp), v.t. 1. to press into small, regular folds; make wavy; corrugate. 2. to bend (leather) into shape. 3. to curl (hair), esp. with the use of a curling iron. 4. Metal-working. a. to bend the edges of (skelp) before forming into a tube. b. to fold the edges of (sheet metal) to make a lock seam. 5. to produce a corrugated surface in; corrugate, as sheet metal, cardboard, etc. 6. to press or draw together, as the ends of something. 7. Cookery. to gash (the flesh of a fish) with a knife to make it more crisp when cooked. 8. to check; arrest; hinder: The shortage of materials crimped production. —n. 9. the act of crimping. 10. a crimped condition or form. 11. Usually, crimps. waves or curls, esp. in hair that has been crimped or that displays a crimped pattern. 12. the waviness of wool fibers as naturally grown on sheep. 13. a crease formed in sheet metal or plate metal for fastening purposes or to make the material less flexible. [ME crymp(en), OE (ge)crympan to curl < crump crooked] —crimp'er, n.
crimp² (krimp), n. 1. a person engaged in enlisting seamen, soldiers, etc., by persuasion, swindling, or coercion. —v.t. 2. to enlist (seamen, soldiers, etc.) by such means. [special use of CRIMP¹]
crim-ple (krim'pəl), v.t., v.i., -pled, -pling. to wrinkle, crinkle, or curl. [ME crymple]
crimp-y (krim'pē), adj., crimp-i-er, crimp-i-est. of a crimped form or appearance.
crim-son (krim'zən, -sən), adj. 1. deep purplish-red. —n. 2. a crimson color, pigment, or dye. —v.t., v.i. 3. to make or become crimson. [late ME crym(e)syn < OSP
Cricket, Gryllus domesticus (Length ¾ in.)