Crag, Cragge, krag, n. the neck.—Scotch forms, Craig, Craig′ie. [Cf. Dut. kraag, Ger. kragen, the neck.]
Crake, krāk, v.i. to utter a cry like a crow, &c.—n. Crake′-berr′y, the crow-berry.
Crake, krāk, n. a crow, raven, corncrake: (obs.) a boast. [See Corncrake.]
Cram, kram, v.t. to press close: to stuff: to fill to superfluity: (slang) to make believe false or exaggerated tales: to teach for a special examination, only giving instruction useful for passing that examination.—v.i. to eat greedily: to get up a subject by cram:—pr.p. cram′ming; pa.p. crammed.—n. a crush: (slang) a lie: information that has been crammed: the system of cramming.—adjs. Cram′-full; Cram′mable; Crammed.—n. Cram′mer, one who prepares students for examination by cramming them. [A.S. crammian; Ice. kremja, to squeeze; Dan. kramme, to crumple.]
Crambo, kram′bo, n. a game in which one gives a word to which another finds a rhyme: rime.—ns. Cram′boclink, -jingle, riming. [Prob. from L. crambe repetita, cabbage served up again.]
Crambus, kram′bus, n. a genus of pyralid moths, the veneers or grass-moths—family Crambidæ, subfamily Crambinæ. [Gr. krambos, dry.]
Crame, krām, n. (Scot.) a booth for selling goods.
Cramoisy, kram′oiz-i, Cramesy, kram′ez-i, adj. and n. crimson. [See Crimson.]
Cramp, kramp, n. an involuntary and painful contraction of a voluntary muscle or group of muscles: restraint: a piece of iron bent at the ends, for holding together wood, stone, &c.: a tool used by carpenters and others, having a movable part which can be screwed tight so as to press things together.—adj. hard to make out (used of handwriting): cramped: narrow.—v.t. to affect with spasms: to confine: to hinder: to fasten with a cramp-iron.—ns. Cramp′bark, the popular American name of the medicinal Viburnum Oxycoccus; Cramp′-bone, the patella of the sheep, an old charm for cramp; Cramp′-fish, the electric ray or torpedo; Cramp′-ī′ron, a piece of metal bent at both ends for binding things together; Cramp′on, a grappling-iron: a pointed plate for the foot in hill-climbing; Cramp′-ring, a ring formerly blessed by the sovereign on Good-Friday against cramp and the falling sickness.—adj. Cramp′y, affected or diseased with cramp: producing cramp.—Bather's cramp, the popular name for paralysis attacking a person while bathing; Writer's cramp, or Scrivener's palsy, a common disease affecting those in the habit of constant writing, the muscles refusing to obey only on attempting to write. [O. Fr. crampe; cf. Dut. kramp, Ger. krampf.]
Cran, kran, n. a measure of capacity in Scotland for herrings when just taken out of the net. It amounts to 37½ imperial gallons, and comprises about 750 herrings on an average.—Coup the cran (Scot.), to be upset. [Prob. from Gael. crann, a measure.]