crawl: Meaning and Definition of

crawl

Pronunciation: (krôl), [key]
— v.i.
  1. to move in a prone position with the body resting on or close to the ground, as a worm or caterpillar, or on the hands and knees, as a young child.
  2. (of plants or vines) to extend tendrils; creep.
  3. to move or progress slowly or laboriously: The line of cars crawled behind the slow-moving truck. The work just crawled until we got the new machines.
  4. to behave in a remorseful, abject, or cringing manner: Don't come crawling back to me asking for favors.
  5. to be, or feel as if, overrun with crawling things: The hut crawled with lizards and insects.
  6. (of a glaze) to spread unevenly over the surface of a piece.
  7. (of paint) to raise or contract because of an imperfect bond with the underlying surface.
—v.t.
  1. to visit or frequent a series of (esp. bars): to crawl the neighborhood pubs.
—n.
  1. act of crawling; a slow, crawling motion.
  2. a slow pace or rate of progress: Traffic slowed to a crawl.
  3. a stroke in a prone position, characterized by alternate overarm movements combined with the flutter kick.
  4. titles that slowly move across a screen, providing information.

crawl

Pronunciation: (krôl), [key]
— n. Chiefly South Atlantic States.
  1. an enclosure in shallow water on the seacoast, as for confining fish, turtles, etc.: a crab crawl.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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