crew

1
[ kroo ]
See synonyms for crew on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a group of persons involved in a particular kind of work or working together: the crew of a train;a wrecking crew.

  2. Nautical.

    • the people who sail or operate a ship or boat.

    • the common sailors of a ship's company.

    • a particular gang of a ship's company.

  1. the people who fly or operate an aircraft or spacecraft.

  2. the team that rows a racing shell: varsity crew.

  3. the sport of racing with racing shells: He went out for crew in his freshman year.

  4. a company; crowd: He and his crew of friends filled the room.

  5. any force or band of armed men.

verb (used with object)
  1. to serve as a member of a crew on (a ship, aircraft, etc.).

  2. to obtain or employ a crew for (a ship, aircraft, etc.).

verb (used without object)
  1. to serve as a member of a crew.

Origin of crew

1
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English crewe “augmentation,” hence “reinforcements, body of soldiers,” from Middle French creue, literally, “an increase,” noun use of feminine of Old French creu “grown, increased,” past participle of creistre “to grow,” from Latin crēscere; see crescent

Grammar notes for crew

Other words from crew

  • crewless, adjective

Other definitions for crew (2 of 2)

crew2
[ kroo ]

verb
  1. a simple past tense of crow2.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use crew in a sentence

  • The Americans demanded the surrender of the Arsenal, the Admiral, and the surviving crews of the destroyed fleet.

    The Philippine Islands | John Foreman
  • The crews were somewhat slow in perceiving us, and had not time to raise their anchors before we came puffing up to them.

  • News came that this daring American warship was taking prize after prize, burning some and sending their crews ashore.

  • It was the work of these to capture merchant ships, take them into port, and sell their crews as slaves.

  • The race was set for 1.30, and soon after noon all the crews were carefully overhauling their gear and studying the barometer.

    Yachting Vol. 2 | Various.

British Dictionary definitions for crew (1 of 2)

crew1

/ (kruː) /


noun(sometimes functioning as plural)
  1. the men who man a ship, boat, aircraft, etc

  2. nautical a group of people assigned to a particular job or type of work

  1. informal a gang, company, or crowd

verb
  1. to serve on (a ship) as a member of the crew

Origin of crew

1
C15 crue (military) reinforcement, from Old French creue augmentation, from Old French creistre to increase, from Latin crescere

British Dictionary definitions for crew (2 of 2)

crew2

/ (kruː) /


verb
  1. a past tense of crow 2

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012