Crab, krab, Crab-apple, krab′-ap-l, n. a wild bitter apple.—ns. Crab′-stick, a stick made out of the crab-tree; Crab′-tree, the tree that bears crab-apples.—adj. like a crab-tree, crooked. [Perh. conn. with Crabbed.]
Crab-oil, Crab-wood. See Carapa.
Crabro, krā′brō, n. the typical genus of Crabronidæ, a family of fossorial hymenopters: a hornet. [L.]
Crack, krak, v.i. to utter a sharp sudden sound: to split: to boast: to chat.—v.t. to produce a sudden noise: to break into chinks: to split: to break partially or wholly: to open (a bottle).—n. a sudden sharp splitting sound: a chink: a flaw: a blow, a smack: friendly chat: (slang) housebreaking: a craze: one who has a craze: a pert boy.—adj. (coll.) excellent.—n. Crack′-brain, a crazy person.—adjs. Crack′-brained; Cracked, rent: damaged: crazy.—ns. Crack′er, one who or that which cracks: a boaster, a lie: the pin-tail duck: (U.S.) a thin crisp biscuit: a bonbon, or a small firework, exploding when pulled asunder: (U.S.) a poor white; Crack′-halt′er, Crack′-hemp (Shak.), Crack′-rope, one likely to be hanged.—adj. Crack′-jaw, of a word, hard to pronounce.—ns. Cracks′man, a burglar; Crack′-tryst, one who breaks an engagement.—Crack credit, to destroy one's credit; Crack tryst, to break an engagement; Crack up, to praise. [A.S. cracian, to crack; cf. Dut. kraken, Gael. crac.]
Crack, krak, n. (Scot.) a moment, an instant.
Crackle, krak′l, v.i. to give out slight but frequent cracks.—n. the giving out of slight cracks.—ns. Crack′lin, a kind of china-ware, purposely cracked in the kiln as an ornament; Crack′ling, the rind of roast pork: (pl.) skinny parts of suet without tallow: three stripes of velvet worn on the sleeves of students at St John's College, Cambridge.—adj. Crack′ly, brittle.—n. Crack′nel, a light, brittle biscuit: (pl.) pieces of fat pork fried crisp.
Cracovian, kra-kō′vi-an, adj. pertaining to Cracow.—ns. Cracovienne′, a graceful Polish dance, resembling the mazourka: the music for such; Crac′owe, a long-toed boot fashionable under Richard II.
Cradle, krā′dl, n. a bed or crib in which children are rocked: (fig.) infancy: the place where one is born and brought up: a frame in which anything is imbedded: a case for a broken limb: a frame under a ship for launching it: a box on rockers for washing auriferous dirt.—v.t. to lay or rock in a cradle: to nurture.—adj. Crā′dled, laid in a cradle.—ns. Crā′dle-scythe, a broad scythe used in a cradle for cutting grain; Crā′dle-walk, an avenue arched over with trees; Crā′dling.—From the cradle, from birth, from the first. [A.S. cradol; ety. obscure.]
Craft, kraft, n. cunning: artifice: dexterity: art: trade: occupation: small ships.—v.i. to exercise one's craft (Shak., Cor., IV. vi. 118).—adv. Craft′ily.—n. Craft′iness.—adj. Craft′less, free from craft.—ns. Crafts′man, one engaged in a craft; Crafts′manship, Craft′manship; Crafts′master, one skilled in a craft.—adj. Craft′y, having skill: cunning: deceitful. [A.S. cræft; Ger. kraft, power.]
Crag, krag, n. a rough steep rock or point: (geol.) a bed of gravel mixed with shells.—adjs. Crag′ged, Crag′gy, full of crags or broken rocks: rough: rugged.—ns. Crag′gedness, Crag′giness; Crags′man, one skilled in climbing rocks. [W. craig, a rock, car-eg, a stone; Gael. creag, carraig.]