craw|fish /krɔː f I ʃ/ (crawfish ) N‑COUNT A crawfish is a small shellfish with five pairs of legs which lives in rivers and streams. You can eat some types of crawfish. [AM ] in BRIT, use crayfish
crawl /krɔː l/ (crawls , crawling , crawled )
1 VERB When you crawl , you move forward on your hands and knees. □ [V ] Don't worry if your baby seems a little reluctant to crawl or walk. □ [V prep/adv] I began to crawl on my hands and knees towards the door. □ [V prep/adv] As he tried to crawl away, he was hit in the shoulder.
2 VERB When an insect crawls somewhere, it moves there quite slowly. □ [V prep] I watched the moth crawl up the outside of the lampshade.
3 VERB If someone or something crawls somewhere, they move or progress slowly or with great difficulty. □ [V prep/adv] I crawled out of bed at nine-thirty. □ [V ] Hairpin turns force the car to crawl at 10 miles an hour in some places. ● N‑SING Crawl is also a noun. □ The traffic on the approach road slowed to a crawl.
4 VERB [only cont] If you say that a place is crawling with people or animals, you are emphasizing that it is full of them. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ [V + with ] This place is crawling with police.
5 N‑SING The crawl is a kind of swimming stroke which you do lying on your front, swinging one arm over your head, and then the other arm.
6 PHRASE If something makes your skin crawl or makes your flesh crawl , it makes you feel shocked or disgusted. □ I hated this man, his very touch made my skin crawl.
7 → see also kerb-crawling , pub crawl
crawl|er /krɔː lə r / (crawlers ) N‑COUNT A crawler is a computer program that visits websites and collects information when you do an internet search. [COMPUTING ]
cray|fish /kre I f I ʃ/ (crayfish ) N‑COUNT A crayfish is a small shellfish with five pairs of legs which lives in rivers and streams. You can eat some types of crayfish.
cray|on /kre I ɒn/ (crayons ) N‑COUNT A crayon is a pencil containing coloured wax or clay, or a rod of coloured wax used for drawing.
craze /kre I z/ (crazes ) N‑COUNT If there is a craze for something, it is very popular for a short time. □ Walking is the latest fitness craze.
crazed /kre I zd/ ADJ [usu ADJ n] Crazed people are wild and uncontrolled, and perhaps insane. [WRITTEN ] □ A crazed gunman slaughtered five people last night.
-crazed /-kre I zd/ COMB -crazed combines with nouns to form adjectives that describe people whose behaviour is wild and uncontrolled because of the thing the noun refers to. □ …a drug-crazed killer.
cra|zi|ly /kre I z I li/
1 ADV [ADV after v] If something moves crazily , it moves in a way or in a direction that you do not expect. [WRITTEN ] □ The ball bounced crazily over his shoulder into the net.
2 → see also crazy
cra|zy ◆◇◇ /kre I zi/ (crazier , craziest , crazies )
1 ADJ If you describe someone or something as crazy , you think they are very foolish or strange. [INFORMAL , DISAPPROVAL ] □ People thought they were all crazy to try to make money from manufacturing. □ That's why he's got so caught up with this crazy idea about Mr. Trancas. ● cra|zi|ly ADV [ADV after v, ADV adj] □ The teenagers shook their long, black hair and gesticulated crazily.
2 ADJ Someone who is crazy is insane. [INFORMAL ] □ If I sat home and worried about all this stuff, I'd go crazy. □ He strides around the room beaming like a crazy man. ● N‑COUNT Crazy is also a noun. □ Outside, mumbling, was one of New York's ever-present crazies.
3 ADJ If you are crazy about something, you are very enthusiastic about it. If you are not crazy about something, you do not like it. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ about ] He's still crazy about both his work and his hobbies. ● COMB Crazy is also a combining form. □ This city is football-crazy and deserves a top side.
4 ADJ If you are crazy about someone, you are deeply in love with them. [INFORMAL ] □ [+ about ] None of that matters, because we're crazy about each other.
5 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] If something or someone makes you crazy or drives you crazy , they make you extremely annoyed or upset. [INFORMAL ] □ This sitting around is driving me crazy. □ When Jock woke up and found you gone he went crazy.
6 PHRASE You use like crazy to emphasize that something happens to a great degree. [INFORMAL , EMPHASIS ] □ The stuff was selling like crazy.
cra |zy pa v|ing N‑UNCOUNT Crazy paving is pieces of stone of different shapes fitted together to make a path or flat area.
creak /kriː k/ (creaks , creaking , creaked ) VERB If something creaks , it makes a short, high-pitched sound when it moves. □ [V ] The bed-springs creaked. □ [V adj] The door creaked open. □ [V -ing] …the creaking stairs. ● N‑COUNT Creak is also a noun. □ The door was pulled open with a creak.
creaky /kriː ki/
1 ADJ A creaky object creaks when it moves. □ She pushed open a creaky door.
2 ADJ If you describe something as creaky , you think it is bad in some way because it is old or old-fashioned. □ …its creaky and corrupt political system.
cream ◆◆◇ /kriː m/ (creams , creaming , creamed )