crow

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkrō

plural crows : any of various large usually entirely glossy black passerine birds (family Corvidae and especially genus Corvus)

capitalized : corvus

: humble pie

the braggart was forced to eat crow

crow

2 of 4

verb

crowed ˈkrōd

also in sense 1 chiefly British crew ˈkrü

; crowing

intransitive verb

: to make the loud shrill sound characteristic of a cock

: to utter a sound expressive of pleasure

: to exult gloatingly especially over the distress of another

: to brag exultantly or blatantly

transitive verb

: to say with self-satisfaction

crow

3 of 4

noun (2)

: the cry of the cock

: a triumphant cry

Crow

4 of 4

noun (3)

ˈkrō

plural Crow also Crows : a member of an Indigenous people of the Great Plains between the Platte and Yellowstone rivers

Note: The names Apsáalooke or Absaroka are often used by Crow as self-designations.

: the Siouan language of the Crow people

Phrases

as the crow flies

: in a straight line

Choose the Right Synonym for crow

boast, brag, vaunt, crow mean to express pride in oneself or one's accomplishments.

boast often suggests ostentation and exaggeration

boasts of every trivial success

, but it may imply a claiming with proper and justifiable pride.

the town boasts one of the best museums in the area

brag suggests crudity and artlessness in glorifying oneself.

bragging of their exploits

vaunt usually connotes more pomp and bombast than boast and less crudity or naïveté than brag.

vaunted his country's military might

crow usually implies exultant boasting or bragging.

crowed after winning the championship

Examples of crow in a Sentence

Verb The cock crowed as the sun began to rise. The boy crowed with delight. The rest of us were sick of hearing her crow about her success.

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Verb

But, this time, something spooked him—a distant rooster crowing. —

Marco Rubio, Newsweek, 2 Nov. 2024 Time and Tide should have been a crowning, crowing moment for the Kent (née Saga) Hospitality team. —

Caroline Hatchett, Robb Report, 1 Nov. 2024

Noun

Thick swarms of black flies hummed and knocked against the windows of an idling car, while crows and vultures waited nearby — eyeballing the taut and bloated carcasses roasting in the October heat. —

Susanne Rust, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2024 Biologists have used their foundational model to help them decode field recordings, and their early research can show what sounds indicate when a crow is about to leave its nest, for example. —

Phoebe Liu, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for crow

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English crowe, from Old English crāwe; akin to Old High German krāwa crow, Old English crāwan to crow

Verb

Middle English, from Old English crāwan

Noun (3)

translation of American French gens des Corbeaux "crow people," or names of similar meaning in the languages of Plains Indians adjacent to the Crows

Note: The reason for the application of words meaning "crow" or "raven" to the Crow by their neighbors is obscure. The Crow self-designation is apsâˑroˑke, traditionally rendered in English Absaroka, Apsaroka, with other variants; it is spelled Apsáalooke in the practical orthography used by Crow speakers. (The sound written l is pronounced as a rhotic tap by older speakers.) It is apparently a generalization of an earlier band name and has no etymology, though supposed translations of the word in the 19th and early 20th centuries frequently rendered it as "Crow." See Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 13, part 2 (Washington, 2001), pp. 714-15.

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Noun (2)

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun (3)

1801, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler

The first known use of crow was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Crow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crow. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

crow

1 of 3 noun

ˈkrō

: any of various large usually entirely glossy black birds related to the jays

capitalized : a member of an Indigenous people of the Great Plains

also : their language

crow

2 of 3 verb

crowed ˈkrōd

; crowing

: to make the loud shrill sound that a rooster makes

: to make sounds of delight

: to brag loudly or joyfully

crow

3 of 3 noun

: the cry of the rooster

: a cry of triumph

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crow

noun (1)

verb

noun (2)

noun (3)

Synonyms

Examples of crow in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near crow

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition