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Added 9 October 2026

crow

/kɹəʊ/ noun

In Latin: cornīx Wiktionary

noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about crow at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

A bird, usually black, of the genus Corvus, having a strong conical beak, with projecting bristles; it has a harsh, croaking call.
Any of various dark-coloured nymphalid butterflies of the genus Euploea.
A bar of iron with a beak, crook or claw; a bar of iron used as a lever; a crowbar.

adjective

Dark black, the color of a crow; crow-black.

verb

To use a crowbar, wedge, or other implement to attempt to open a surface by leveraging force on the opposite end of the tool to pry off the connection between the two surfaces.
If you wanna get inside, you're gonna have to crow open that door.

verb

To make the shrill sound characteristic of a rooster; to make a sound in this manner, either in gaiety, joy, pleasure, or defiance.
To shout in exultation or defiance; to brag.
He’s been crowing all day about winning the game of cards.
To test the reed of a double reed instrument by placing the reed alone in the mouth and blowing it.

Origin

From Middle English crowe, from Old English crāwe, from Proto-West Germanic *krāā, from Proto-Germanic *krēǭ (compare West Frisian krie, Dutch kraai, German Krähe), from *krēaną (“to crow”). See below. The verb is a back-formation from crowbar.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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