crawl

Meaning

Verb

1. (intransitive) To creep; to move slowly on hands and knees, or by dragging the body along the ground.
2. (intransitive) To move forward slowly, with frequent stops.
3. (intransitive) To act in a servile manner.
4. (intransitive) Followed by with: see crawl with.
5. (intransitive) To feel a swarming sensation.
6. (intransitive, transitive) To swim using the crawl stroke.
7. (transitive) To move over (an area) on hands and knees.
8. (transitive) To move over (an area) slowly, with frequent stops.
9. (Internet, transitive) To visit files or web sites in order to index them for searching.

Noun

1. The act of moving slowly on hands and knees, etc.
2. The act of sequentially visiting a series of similar establishments (i.e., a bar crawl).
3. A rapid swimming stroke with alternate overarm strokes and a fluttering kick.
4. (figuratively) A very slow pace.
5. A piece of horizontally or vertically scrolling text overlaid on the main image.

Noun

A pen or enclosure of stakes and hurdles for holding fish.

Synonyms

creep

slither

grovel

climb

move slowly

crawling

drag

cringe

creeping

worm

🪱

trail

cower

Australian crawl

wriggle

formicate

fawn

advance slowly

front crawl

crouch

walk slowly

move

sneak

squirm

kowtow

slide

seethe

slip

go up

glide

freestyle

copulate

bustle

drag on

contour

pussyfoot

detour

conceal

brim

balking

descended

proceed

pour out

dawdle

peristalsis

prostrate

prowl

pullulate

pursue

overrun

on all fours

Translations

ramper

kriechen

arrastrarse

kruipen

gatear

strisciare

rastejar

krabbeln

trascinarsi

arrossegar-se

reptar

marcher à quatre pattes

arrastar(-se)

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kɹɔːl/

Etymology

Cognate with Danish: kravle

Cognate with Swedish: kravla

Cognate with Dutch: krabbelen

Cognate with German: krabbeln

Cognate with Western Frisian: kreauwelje

Cognate with Dutch: krevelen

Cognate with German: kribbeln

In summary

From Middle English crawlen, crewlen, creulen, crallen, *cravelen, from Old Norse krafla (compare Danish kravle (“to crawl, creep”), Swedish kravla, kräla (“to creep, crawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *krablōną (compare Saterland Frisian krabbelje, Dutch krabbelen, German Low German krabbeln, German krabbeln), frequentative of *krabbōną (“to scratch, scrape”). Compare also Saterland Frisian krauelje (“to crawl, scuttle”), West Frisian kreauwelje (“to crawl”), Dutch krevelen, krieuwelen (“to crawl”), German Low German kribbeln, German kribbeln (“to creep, crawl, tingle”). See also crab, crabble.