Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Crawl
Crawl
(kra̤l)
, Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Crawled
(kra̤ld)
; p. pr. & vb. n.
Crawling
.] [Dan.
kravle
, or Icel. krafla
, to paw, scrabble with the hands; akin to Sw. kräla
to crawl; cf. LG. krabbeln
, D. krabbelen
to scratch.] 1.
To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to move slowly on hands and knees; to creep.
A worm finds what it searches after only by feeling, as it
crawls
from one thing to another. Grew.
2.
Hence, to move or advance in a feeble, slow, or timorous manner.
He was hardly able to
crawl
about the room. Arbuthnot.
The meanest thing that
crawl’d
beneath my eyes. Byron.
3.
To advance slowly and furtively; to insinuate one's self; to advance or gain influence by servile or obsequious conduct.
Secretly
crawling
up the battered walls. Knolles.
Hath
crawled
into the favor of the king. Shakespeare
Absurd opinions
crawl
about the world. South.
4.
To have a sensation as of insect creeping over the body; , 7.
as, the flesh
. See crawls
Creep
, Verb.
I.
Crawl
(kr?l)
, Noun.
The act or motion of crawling; slow motion, as of a creeping animal.
Crawl
,Noun.
[Cf.
Kraal
.] A pen or inclosure of stakes and hurdles on the seacoast, for holding fish.
Webster 1828 Edition
Crawl
CRAWL
,Verb.
I.
1.
To creep; to move slowly by thrusting or drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; or to move slowly on the hands and knees or feet, as a human being. A worm crawls on the earth; a boy crawls into a cavern, or up a tree.2.
To move or walk weakly, slowly, or timorously.He was hardly able to crawl about the room.
3.
To creep; to advance slowly and slyly; to insinuate ones self; as, to crawl into favor. [This use is vulgar.]4.
To move about; to move in any direction; used in contempt.Absurd opinions crawl about the world.
5.
To have the sensation of insects creeping about the body; as, the flesh crawls.CRAWL
,Noun.