crawl
crawl /kr'ɔːl/ (crawls crawling crawled)
1 [VERB] V, V prep/adv, V prep/adv
When you crawl, you move forward on your hands and knees.
Don't worry if your baby seems a little reluctant to crawl or walk...
I began to crawl on my hands and knees towards the door...
As he tried to crawl away, he was hit in the shoulder.
2 [VERB] V prep
When an insect crawls somewhere, it moves there quite slowly.
I watched the moth crawl up the outside of the lampshade.
3 [VERB] V prep/adv, V
If someone or something crawls somewhere, they move or progress slowly or with great difficulty.
I crawled out of bed at nine-thirty...
Hairpin turns force the car to crawl at 10 miles an hour in some places.
[N-SING] a N
Crawl is also a noun.
The traffic on the approach road slowed to a crawl.
4 [VERB] only cont, V with n
If you say that a place is crawling with people or animals, you are emphasizing that it is full of them. (INFORMAL)
This place is crawling with police.
5 [N-SING] the N
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] V inflects
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 crawlpub crawl (pub crawls)
[N-COUNT]
If people go on a pub crawl, they go from one pub to another having drinks in each one. (BRIT INFORMAL)
1 [VERB] V, V prep/adv, V prep/adv
When you crawl, you move forward on your hands and knees.
Don't worry if your baby seems a little reluctant to crawl or walk...
I began to crawl on my hands and knees towards the door...
As he tried to crawl away, he was hit in the shoulder.
2 [VERB] V prep
When an insect crawls somewhere, it moves there quite slowly.
I watched the moth crawl up the outside of the lampshade.
3 [VERB] V prep/adv, V
If someone or something crawls somewhere, they move or progress slowly or with great difficulty.
I crawled out of bed at nine-thirty...
Hairpin turns force the car to crawl at 10 miles an hour in some places.
[N-SING] a N
Crawl is also a noun.
The traffic on the approach road slowed to a crawl.
4 [VERB] only cont, V with n
If you say that a place is crawling with people or animals, you are emphasizing that it is full of them. (INFORMAL)
This place is crawling with police.
5 [N-SING] the N
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] V inflects
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 crawlpub crawl (pub crawls)
[N-COUNT]
If people go on a pub crawl, they go from one pub to another having drinks in each one. (BRIT INFORMAL)