English

Verb

cratch ‎(third-person singular simple present cratches, present participle cratching, simple past and past participle cratched)

1. (obsolete) To scratch.

Etymology 2

From Middle English cratche, cracche, crecche ‎(“crib”), from Old French creche ‎(“crib, manger”), from Frankish *krippija ‎(“crib”), akin to Old High German crippa, cripha ‎(“crib”). More at creche, crib.

Noun

cratch ‎(plural cratches)

1. (obsolete) A grated crib or manger.
   • Spenser

     Begin from first where He encradled was, / In simple cratch, wrapt in a wad of hay.

2. (nautical) The vertical planks at the forward end of the hold of a traditional English narrowboat which constrain the cargo and support the top plank or walkway.
   • 1966, Gervis Frere-Cook, The decorative arts of the mariner:

     The fore-end of the cargo space terminates in a triangular board, called the cratch, raised to the same height as the cabin roof and connected to it [...]

Derived terms

• cratch cradle