crow
1any of several large oscine birds of the genus Corvus, of the family Corvidae, having a long, stout bill, lustrous black plumage, and a wedge-shaped tail, as the common C. brachyrhynchos, of North America.
any of several other birds of the family Corvidae.
any of various similar birds of other families.
Crow, Astronomy. the constellation Corvus.
Idioms about crow
as the crow flies, in a straight line; by the most direct route: The next town is thirty miles from here, as the crow flies.
eat crow, Informal. to be forced to admit to having made a mistake, as by retracting an emphatic statement; suffer humiliation: His prediction was completely wrong, and he had to eat crow.
have a crow to pick / pluck with someone, Midland and Southern U.S. to have a reason to disagree or argue with someone.
Origin of crow
1Words that may be confused with crow
- craw, crow
Words Nearby crow
Other definitions for crow (2 of 3)
to utter the characteristic cry of a rooster.
to gloat, boast, or exult (often followed by over).
to utter an inarticulate cry of pleasure, as an infant does.
the characteristic cry of a rooster.
an inarticulate cry of pleasure.
Origin of crow
2Other words for crow
Other words from crow
- crower, noun
- crow·ing·ly, adverb
Other definitions for Crow (3 of 3)
a member of a Siouan people of eastern Montana.
a Siouan language closely related to Hidatsa.
Origin of Crow
3Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use crow in a sentence
Outside, a flock of crows takes off in unison from the branches of an ancient oak.
Near the end of life, my hospice patient had a ghostly visitor who altered his view of the world | Scott Janssen | January 2, 2021 | Washington PostAlmost all young mammals play, as do birds like parrots and crows.
Neuroscientists have become increasingly interested in birds like the crow, which appear to be able to think creatively in ways that mirror human cognition.
Person, Woman, Man, Camera, TV - Issue 93: Forerunners | Adithya Rajagopalan | December 2, 2020 | NautilusIt’s the first time that researchers have observed this behavior in snakes, though animals like crows or raccoons eat some toads in a similar fashion.
This snake rips a hole in living toads’ stomachs to feast on their organs | Erin Garcia de Jesus | October 2, 2020 | Science NewsSome sponsorship contracts are being sold for anything between five to 10 times lower than usual, crow said.
‘We are permanently in beta’: European sports broadcasting is still in a coronavirus-forced state of reinvention | Lara O'Reilly | September 15, 2020 | Digiday
This mass incarceration is destroying the Black community -- it is, as Michelle Alexander writes, the New Jim crow.
Thus, during Jim crow, black men were routinely hanged, castrated, and lynched for alleged sexual assaults against white women.
No Wonder Cosby's Keeping Quiet: He Could Still Be Prosecuted | Jay Michaelson | November 23, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTEach working in its own way was essential to ending Jim crow in the South.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era | Gary May | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSlowly, still falteringly but inexorably, Jim crow justice was disappearing in the South.
Honoring The Late John Doar, A Nearly Forgotten Hero Of The Civil Rights Era | Gary May | November 15, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“It tasted like a crow enchilada,” Morrissey said, as he literally ate his words.
The Chicago Bulls’ Joakim Noah Sounds Off on Weed, the Weather, and Winning | Bill Schulz | October 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTNot much use as the high crests hid the intervening hinterland from view, even from the crow's nests.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonThe cat had been about to spring at Grandfather Mole again when Mr. crow spoke to her.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyAnd he quite agreed with old Mr. crow, who had come hurrying up to see what was going on.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyMr. crow was rocking back and forth on his perch, for a joke—on anybody except himself—always delighted him.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott BaileyFarmer Green's cat had never liked Mr. crow, for no particular reason.
The Tale of Grandfather Mole | Arthur Scott Bailey
British Dictionary definitions for crow (1 of 3)
/ (krəʊ) /
any large gregarious songbird of the genus Corvus, esp C. corone (the carrion crow) of Europe and Asia: family Corvidae . Other species are the raven, rook, and jackdaw and all have a heavy bill, glossy black plumage, and rounded wings: See also carrion crow Related adjective: corvine
any of various other corvine birds, such as the jay, magpie, and nutcracker
Origin of crow
1British Dictionary definitions for crow (2 of 3)
/ (krəʊ) /
(past tense crowed or crew) to utter a shrill squawking sound, as a cock
(often foll by over) to boast one's superiority
(esp of babies) to utter cries of pleasure
the act or an instance of crowing
Origin of crow
2Derived forms of crow
- crower, noun
- crowingly, adverb
British Dictionary definitions for Crow (3 of 3)
/ (krəʊ) /
plural Crows or Crow a member of a Native American people living in E Montana
the language of this people, belonging to the Siouan family
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with crow
In addition to the idiom beginning with crow
- crown jewels
- crow over
also see:
- as the crow flies
- eat crow
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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