CREEP, kr[=e]p, _v.i._ to move on the belly, like a snake: to move slowly: to grow along the ground or on supports, as a vine: to fawn or cringe: to have the physical sensation of something creeping over or under the skin: to shudder at from fear or repugnance: to drag with a creeper, as a river-bottom:--_pr.p._ creep'ing; _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ crept.--_ns._ CREEP'ER, a creeping plant: a genus of small climbing birds; CREEP'-HOLE, a hole into which to creep: a subterfuge; CREEP'IE, a low stool, the old Scotch stool of repentance.--_adv._ CREEP'INGLY.--_adj._ CREEP'Y. [A.S.
_creopan_; Dut. _kruipen_.]
CREESE, CREASE, kr[=e]s, _n._ a Malay dagger with a wavy blade--also KRIS.--_v.t._ to stab with a creese.
CREESH, kr[=e]sh, _v.t._ (_Scot._) to grease.--_n._ grease.--_adj._ CREESH'Y. [O. Fr. _craisse_--L. _crassus_, fat.]
CREMAILLERE, kre-mal-y[=a]r', _n._ a line of fortification built zigzag to give wider range in firing. [Fr.]
CREMATION, krem-[=a]'shun, _n._ act of burning, esp. of the dead.--_v.t._ CREMATE'.--_ns._ CREM[=A]'TIONIST, one who advocates cremation; CREMAT'OR, CREMAT[=O]R'IUM, CREM'ATORY, a place where cremation is done.--_adj._ CREMAT[=O]R'IAL. [L.,--_crem[=a]re_, to burn.]
CREMONA, krem-[=o]'na, _n._ a superior kind of violin made at _Cremona_ in Italy.--_adj._ CREMONESE'.
CREMOR, kr[=e]'mor, _n._ thick juice.
CREMOSIN, krem'[=o]-zin, _n._ crimson (_Spens._).
CRENATE, -D, kr[=e]'n[=a]t, -ed, _adj._ (_bot._) having the edge notched.--_ns._ CR[=E]'NA, a furrow or notch; CREN[=A]'TION; CREN'ATURE.--_adjs._ CREN'ULATE, -D, finely notched or crenate. [L.
_crena_, a notch.]
CRENEL, kren'el, CRENELLE, kre-nel', _n._ (_archit._) an opening in a parapet for shooting through: a battlement--dim. CREN'ELET.--_n._ CRENAUX (kr[=e]'n[=o]), crenellations or loopholes in a fortress.--_v.t._ CREN'ELLATE.--_adjs._ CRENELL[=A]T'ED, furnished with battlements: indented.--_n._ CRENELL[=A]'TION.--_adjs._ CRENELLE' (_her._), embattled; CRENELLED', having embrasures. [Fr.,--Low L. _crena_, a notch.]
CREOLE, kr[=e]'[=o]l, _n._ and _adj._ strictly applied in the former Spanish, French, and Portuguese colonies of America, Africa, and the East Indies to natives of pure European blood (_sangre azul_), in opposition to immigrants themselves born in Europe, or to the offspring of mixed blood, as mulattoes, quadroons, Eurasians, &c.: (_U.S._) applied only to the native French stock in Louisiana: a negro born in the West Indies--earlier CRE[=O]'LIAN. [Fr. _creole_--Sp. _criollo_, contr. of _criadillo_, 'a little nursling,' dim. of _criado_--_criar_, lit. to create, also to bring up, to nurse--L. _cre[=a]re_.]
CREOPHAGOUS, kr[=e]-of'a-gus, _adj._ flesh-eating. [Gr. _kreas_, flesh, _phagein_, to eat.]
CREOSOTE, kr[=e]'o-s[=o]t, CREASOTE, kr[=e]'a-s[=o]t, _n._ an oily, colourless liquid obtained from the tar produced by the destructive distillation of wood. [Gr. _kreas_, flesh, _s[=o]t[=e]r_, saviour--_s[=o]z-ein_, to save.]
CREPANCE, kr[=e]'pans, _n._ a wound on a horse's hind ankle-joint, caused by striking with the shoe of the other hind-foot.--Also CR[=E]'PANE. [L.
_crep[=a]re_, to break.]
CRePE, kr[=a]p, _v.t._ to frizz, as hair. [See CRAPE.]
CREPITATE, krep'i-t[=a]t, _v.i._ to crackle, snap.--_adj._ CREP'ITANT, crackling.--_n._ CREPIT[=A]'TION, the characteristic sound detected in the lungs by auscultation.--_adj._ CREP'IT[=A]TIVE.--_n._ CREP'ITUS. [L.
_crepit[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, freq. of _crep[=a]re_, to crack, rattle.]
CREPON, krep'on, _n._ a woollen or silk crapy stuff. [Fr.]
CREPT, krept, _pa.t._ and _pa.p._ of CREEP.
CREPUSCULAR, kre-pus'k[=u]-lar, _adj._ of or pertaining to twilight--also CREPUS'CULOUS.--_ns._ CREPUS'CULE, CREPUS'CLE, twilight. [L.
_crepusculum_--_creper_, dusky, obscure.]
CRESCENDO, kres-en'd[=o], _adv._ (_mus._) gradually increasing in force or loudness.--_n._ a passage marked by this.--Often _cres._, _cresc._, or [Crescendo symbol].
CRESCENT, kres'ent, _adj._ increasing: shaped like the new or old moon.--_n._ the moon as she increases towards half-moon: a figure like the crescent moon, as that on the Turkish standard: the standard itself: the Turkish power: a range of buildings in curved form.--_n._ CRES'CENTADE, a religious war for Islam.--_adjs._ CRES'CENTED, CRESCENT'IC, formed like a crescent; CRES'CIVE (_Shak._), increasing. [L. _crescens_, _crescent-is_, pr.p. of _cresc[)e]re_, to grow.]
CRESS, kres, _n._ the name of several species of plants like the water-cress, which grow in moist places, and have pungent leaves used as salads and medicinally.--_adj._ CRESS'Y, abounding in cresses. [A.S.
_cresse_, _cerse_; cf. Dut. _kers_, Ger. _kresse_.]
CRESSET, kres'et, _n._ an iron basket, jar, or open lamp filled with combustible material, placed on a beacon, lighthouse, wharf, &c.: a torch generally. [O. Fr. _cresset_, _crasset_ (Fr. _creuset_)--Old Dut.
_kruysel_, a hanging lamp.]
CREST, krest, _n._ the comb or tuft on the head of a cock and other birds: the summit of anything, as a roof-ridge, hill, wave: the mane of a horse, &c.: (_anat._) a ridge along the surface of a bone: a plume of feathers or other ornament on the top of a helmet: (_her._) an accessory figure originally surmounting the helmet, placed on a wreath, &c., also used separately as a personal cognisance on plate, &c.--_v.t._ to furnish with, or serve for, a crest, to surmount.--_p.adj._ CREST'ED, having a crest: (_bot._) having an elevated appendage like a crest.--_adjs._ CREST'FALLEN, dejected: heartless; CREST'LESS, without a crest: not of high birth.--_ns._ CREST'-MARINE', rock samphire; CRESTOL'ATRY, toadyism. [O. Fr. _creste_ (mod. _crete_)--L. _crista_.]
CRETACEOUS, kr[=e]-t[=a]'shus, _adj._ composed of or like chalk.--_adj._ CR[=E]'T[=A]TED, rubbed with chalk.--_n._ CRETIFAC'TION.--_v.i._ CR[=E]'TIFY, to become impregnated with salts of lime. [L. _cretaceus_, from _creta_, chalk.]
CRETIC, kr[=e]'tik, _adj._ and _n._ Cretan, belonging to _Crete_: a metrical foot consisting of one short syllable between two long.--_n._ CR[=E]'TISM, a lie.
CRETINISM, kr[=e]'tin-izm, _n._ a state of defective mental development, associated with bodily deformity or arrested growth, occurring esp. in connection with enlargement of the thyroid gland or goitre in the lower Alpine valleys.--_n._ CR[=E]'TIN, one affected with cretinism.--_adjs._ CR[=E]'TINOUS, CR[=E]'TINISED. [Fr. _cretin_--Swiss _crestin_--L.
_christian-us_, prob. implying that, after all, they are human, or that they are (from their fatuousness) incapable of sin--cf. the frequent use of _innocent_.]
CRETONNE, kret-on', or kret'on, _n._ a strong printed cotton fabric used for curtains or for covering furniture. [Fr., prob. from _Creton_ in Normandy.]
CRETOSE, kr[=e]'t[=o]s, _adj._ chalky.
CREUTZER. Same as KREUTZER.
CREUX, kr[.e], _n._ the reverse of relief in sculpture, intaglio. [Fr.]
CREVASSE, krev-as', _n._ a crack or split, esp. applied to a cleft in a glacier: (_U.S._) a breach in a canal or river bank.--_v.t._ to fissure with crevasses. [Fr.]
CREVET, krev'et, _n._ a variant of CRUET, a goldsmith's melting-pot.
CREVICE, krev'is, _n._ a crack or rent: a narrow opening. [O. Fr.
_crevace_--L. L.,--L. _crep[=a]re_, to creak.]
CREW, kr[=oo], _n._ a company, squad, or gang, often in a bad or contemptuous sense: a ship's company. [O. Fr. _creue_, increase--_croistre_, to grow.]
CREW, kr[=oo], _pa.t._ of CROW.
CREWE, kr[=oo], _n._ (_Spens._) a cruse. [O. Fr. _crue_.]
CREWEL, kr[=oo]'el, _n._ a fine worsted yarn used for embroidery and tapestry: work in crewels.--_v.t._ to work in such.--_ns._ CREW'ELIST; CREW'ELLERY. [Orig. a monosyllable, _crule_, _crewle_; ety. dub.]
CREWELS, kr[=oo]'elz, _n.pl._ (_Scot._) the king's evil, scrofula. [Fr.
_[=e]crouelles_.]
CRIB, krib, _n._ the rack or manger of a stable: a stall for oxen: a child's bed; a small cottage or hovel, a confined place: (_coll._) a translation of a classic baldly literal, for lazy schoolboys.--_v.t._ to put away in a crib, confine: to pilfer: to plagiarise:--_pr.p._ crib'bing; _pa.p._ cribbed.--_n._ CRIB'-BIT'ING, a vicious habit of horses, consisting in biting the manger. [A.S. _crib_; Ger. _krippe_.]
CRIBBAGE, krib'[=a]j, _n._ a game at cards played by two, three, or four persons, so called from _crib_, the name given to certain cards laid aside from his hand by each player, and which belong to the dealer.--_n._ CRIBB'AGE-BOARD, a board with holes for keeping by means of pegs the score at cribbage.
CRIBBLE, krib'l, _n._ a coarse screen or sieve used for sand, gravel, or corn: coarse flour or meal.--_v.t._ to sift or riddle.--_adjs._ CRIB'R[=A]TE, CRIB'ROSE, perforated like a sieve.--_n._ CRIBR[=A]'TION, act of sifting.--_adj._ CRIB'RIFORM, shaped like a sieve. [L. _cribellum_, dim.
of _cribrum_, a sieve.]
CRIBELLUM, kri-bel'um, _n._ an accessory spinning-organ of certain spiders--also CRIBRELL'UM:--_pl._ CRIBELL'A.
CRIBLe, kr[=e]-bl[=a], _adj._ punctured like a sieve, dotted. [Fr.]
CRICETUS, kri-s[=e]'tus, _n._ the typical genus of _Cricetinae_, a sub-family of muroid rodents with cheek-pouches.