crookedadj.
/ˈkrʊkɪd/ 1.
a. Bent from the straight form; having (one or more) bends or angles; curved, bent, twisted, tortuous, wry. Applied to everything which is not ‘straight’ (of which crooked is now the ordinary opposite).
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > shape > curvature > [adjective]
crooked?c1225
roundc1300
ybentc1330
bentc1374
cambera1387
curvate?a1425
curve?a1425
curved?a1425
bowingc1440
crumped1480
bowed1483
bended1495
bowlanda1522
compass?1523
curbed?1541
compassed1551
compassing1576
curvated1598
orbed1598
curving1609
ridgill-backed1611
incurved1623
inflected1646
incurvate1647
curvous1661
incurvated1665
swayed1688
bending1697
circumflex1707
curval1730
sweeping1772
bendy1800
curvatureda1810
curvative1846
hooped1852
swept1903
the world > space > shape > misshapenness > [adjective] > crooked
wough862
crumba1100
wrongc1175
crooked?c1225
crochedc1300
forcrookedc1305
miscrookeda1398
crumpleda1400
kirkeda1425
camshoch1513
crooken1589
awry1728
thraward1814
ajee1816
ahoo1828
crinkly-crankly1850
unstraight1860
cockeye1891
cockeyed1899
crookedy1907
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 81 Þe cat of helle..wið crokede crokes.
a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Douce 369(1)) (1850) Isa. xxvii. 1 Leuyathan a crookid wounde serpent.
1393 W. Langland Piers Plowman C. iii. 29 Shal neuere..on croked kene þorne kynde fygys wexe.
a1450 Knt. de la Tour 23 Al her lyff after she hadd her nose al croked.
c1460 Medulla Gram. in Promptorium Parvulorum 80 Cambuca, a buschoppys cros or a crokid staf.
1534 Bible (Tyndale rev. Joye) Luke iii. 5 Crocked thinges shalbe made streight.
1551 R. Record Pathway to Knowl. i All other lines, that go not right forth..but boweth any waye..are called Croked lynes.
1591 J. Lyly Sapho & Phao ii. i Juniper, the longer it grew, the crookeder it wexed.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Coriolanus (1623) ii. i. 55 If the drinke..touch my Palat aduersly, I make a crooked face at it. View more context for this quotation
1642 T. Fuller Holy State ii. xvi. 111 Shipwrights and boatmakers will choose those crooked pieces of timber.
1717 G. Berkeley Jrnls. Trav. Italy 27 May in Wks. (1955) VII. 283 Streets open, pleasant but crooked.
1810 W. Scott Lady of Lake i. 29 That faulchion's crooked blade.
b. crooked stick: see stick n.1 13.
2. † b. of an old decrepit horse. Obsolete.
a. Of persons: Having the body or limbs bent out of shape; deformed; bent or bowed with age. Hence transferred as an epithet of age.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > deformity > [adjective]
crumpa800
crookedc1290
counterfeited1340
courbe1395
crumpleda1400
wanshapena1425
courbedc1430
wrongc1430
crumped1480
mismadec1480
counterfeit1483
crabby1550
crab-tree-like1576
crab-tree1598
crabbed1601
bossive1658
stumping1852
arthritic1961
c1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 34/18 He..maude hole..Meseles and þe crokede.
1377 W. Langland Piers Plowman B. xi. 186 Ac calleth þe careful þer-to þe croked and þe pore.
1430 J. Lydgate tr. Hist. Troy iv. xxx In my croked age.
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) xxiii. 68 The crokyd dwarfe.
1673 J. Milton At Vacation Exercise in Poems (new ed.) 67 A Sybil old, bow-bent with crooked age.
1719 Free-thinker No. 92. 1 You would have thought she had been crooked from her Infancy.
1865 C. Dickens Our Mutual Friend I. ii. xv. 299 A pert crooked little chit.
ΚΠ
1470–85 T. Malory Morte d'Arthur x. lxxxiv Whan that knyghte sawe sire palomydes bounden vpon a croked courser.
a1533 Ld. Berners tr. A. de Guevara Golden Bk. M. Aurelius (1546) sig. Q There is not so croked a hors.
3. figurative.
a. The reverse of ‘straight’ in figurative senses (esp. with reference to moral character and conduct); deviating from rectitude or uprightness; not straightforward; dishonest, wrong, perverse; perverted, out of order, awry.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > crookedness > [adjective]
crooked?c1225
sinister?1455
indirect1570
undirect1594
involved1612
obliquous1614
unstraight1650
back-handed1800
tortuous1801
twistical1805
louche1819
hooky-crooky1833
underhand1842
twisty1857
underhanded1864
bent1914
society > morality > moral evil > lack of principle or integrity > [adjective] > not straightforward
crooked?c1225
indirect1570
undirect1594
involved1612
unstraight1650
obliquous1757
tortuous1801
twistical1805
louche1819
hooky-crooky1833
sinuous1850
twisty1905
the mind > will > decision > obstinacy or stubbornness > [adjective] > perverse
wharfedc1175
thwart-over?c1225
fromwardc1275
thwarta1325
wilgernc1325
contrariousa1340
froward1340
rebours1340
awaywarda1375
overthwartc1384
protervec1384
waywardc1384
arsewardc1386
wrawc1386
wrawfulc1386
crabbeda1400
ungraitha1400
wraweda1400
awklyc1400
perversec1425
awkc1440
perversiosec1475
crooked1508
wrayward1516
awkward1530
difficilec1533
peevish1539
protervous1547
overthwarting1552
untowardly1561
difficult1589
cross1594
cama1600
frowish1601
awkwardish1613
haggardly1635
pigheadeda1637
cross-grained1647
wry1649
crossfulc1680
thwarting1718
kim-kama1734
wronghead1737
piggish1742
witherly1790
top-thrawn1808
contrary1850
cussed1858
three-cornered1863
thwarteous1890
bloody-minded1935
?c1225 (?a1200) Ancrene Riwle (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 81 Þe cat of helle..wið crokede crokes & kene fondunges.
a1340 R. Rolle Psalter xxxi. 14 Krokid of hert ere þa.
1508 Bp. J. Fisher Wks. (1876) I. 240 The wyll of some is so croked.
1611 Bible (King James) Deut. xxxii. 5 They are a peruerse and crooked generation. View more context for this quotation
a1616 W. Shakespeare Two Gentlemen of Verona (1623) iv. i. 23 If crooked fortune had not thwarted me. View more context for this quotation
1660 H. More Explan. Grand Myst. Godliness v. xvii. 204 A very crooked Objection both from the Jew and Atheist.
1715 A. Pope Temple of Fame 36 Of crooked Counsels and dark Politicks.
1749 H. Fielding Tom Jones III. vii. xv. 132 This young Gentleman, tho' somewhat crooked in his Morals, was perfectly strait in his Person. View more context for this quotation
1871 B. Jowett in tr. Plato Dialogues III. 244 Perfect in the practice of crooked ways.
b. colloquial. Dishonestly come by; made, obtained, or sold in a way that is not straightforward.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > goodness and badness > wrongdoing > crookedness > [adjective] > dishonestly obtained
cross1819
crooked1864
the mind > possession > acquisition > [adjective] > obtained or acquired > by irregular means
crooked1864
cross1892
kinky1927
hot-stuffed1929
scrounged1941
organized1957
1864 J. C. Hotten Slang Dict. (new ed.) 112 Crooked, a term used among dog-stealers, and the ‘fancy’ generally, to denote anything stolen.
1876 N. Amer. Rev. 123 301 Another house testified..that half its entire annual product was ‘crooked’.
1891 J. S. Farmer Americanisms Crooked whiskey, illicitly distilled whiskey upon which no excise has been paid.
1892 ‘R. Boldrewood’ Nevermore I. x. 180 He was riding a crooked horse when he was took.
1898 Daily News 27 Aug. 6/6 Telling him that he rather thought he had bought ‘a crooked lot’.
1902 Daily Chron. 26 Aug. 6/6 In the event of his being found..to be dealing in ‘crooked’ things, or refusing to give information as to where he got his stuff.
c. Australian and New Zealand slang. = crook adj. 2c; esp. in crooked on, angry at. Usually pronounced /krʊkt/.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > emotion > anger > [adjective]
irrec825
gramec893
wemodc897
wrothc950
bolghenc1000
gramelyc1000
hotOE
on fireOE
brathc1175
moodyc1175
to-bollenc1175
wrethfulc1175
wraw?c1225
agrameda1300
wrathfula1300
agremedc1300
hastivec1300
irousa1340
wretheda1340
aniredc1350
felonc1374
angryc1380
upreareda1382
jealous1382
crousea1400
grieveda1400
irefula1400
mada1400
teena1400
wraweda1400
wretthy14..
angryc1405
errevousa1420
wrothy1422
angereda1425
passionatec1425
fumous1430
tangylc1440
heavy1452
fire angry1490
wrothsomea1529
angerful?1533
wrothful?1534
wrath1535
provoked1538
warm1547
vibrant1575
chauffe1582
fuming1582
enfeloned1596
incensed1597
choleric1598
inflameda1600
raiseda1600
exasperate1601
angried1609
exasperated1611
dispassionate1635
bristlinga1639
peltish1648
sultry1671
on (also upon) the high ropes (also rope)1672
nangry1681
ugly1687
sorea1694
glimflashy1699
enraged1732
spunky1809
cholerous1822
kwaai1827
wrathy1828
angersome1834
outraged1836
irate1838
vex1843
raring1845
waxy1853
stiff1856
scotty1867
bristly1872
hot under the collar1879
black angry1894
spitfire1894
passionful1901
ignorant1913
hairy1914
snaky1919
steamed1923
uptight1934
broigus1937
lemony1941
ripped1941
pissed1943
crooked1945
teed off1955
ticked off1959
ripe1966
torqued1967
bummed1970
the mind > emotion > anger > irascibility > irritability > irritable [adjective]
sharpc1000
impatient1377
out-sharpinga1382
teethya1500
fumish1523
testy1526
crabbed1535
tettish1567
peevish1577
kickish1589
splenetic1593
spleenful1594
tetchy1596
wasp-stung1598
touchy1602
spleeny1604
pruriginous1609
teety1621
splenitive1633
peltish1648
irritable1662
splenatic1663
splenetive1678
unheer1691
rusty1694
nettlesome1766
stingy1781
snarly1798
tutty1809
spleenical1818
rileya1824
nettly1825
edgy1837
porcupinal1846
shirty1846
raspish1854
peckish1857
streaky1860
owly1864
teasy1866
fussy1869
raspy1869
spiky1881
chippyc1885
tetchous1890
narky1895
snarky1906
ringy1907
snarkish1912
Scot1916
crooked1945
niggly1952
snooty1959
kvetchy1965
to be on the rag1967
sandpaper1976
gribble1984
splenous-
1945 L. Glassop We were Rats i. viii. 48 Ya oughtn' ter feel crooked on things. I s'pose it's because Bertha's outa town?
1957 ‘N. Culotta’ They're Weird Mob (1958) vi. 86 ‘Are you not ashamed of yourself?’ ‘Yeah, I'm real crooked on me.’
4. quasi-adv. In a crooked course or position; not straight.
ΘΚΠ
the world > space > relative position > inclination > [adverb] > askew
acrooka1387
wrongc1440
overthwartlya1470
adoylea1475
awry1487
crooked1545
across1559
askew1565
cam1579
alurk1581
skew-whiff1754
a-twist1755
agley1786
skeow-ways1869
off-kilter1929
the world > space > direction > [adverb] > off the direct line > bendingly or windingly
a-crooka1387
acrooka1387
crooked1545
windingly1576
bendingly1658
serpentinely1762
tortuously1839
meanderingly1865
snakily1870
1545 R. Ascham Toxophilus i. f. 21 If the yonge tree growe croked.
c1550 Complaynt Scotl. (1979) xix. 126 Sche ȝeid crukit bakuart and on syd.
1864 J. W. Carlyle Lett. III. 220 Pictures..which were hung up all crooked.
Compounds
C1. parasynthetic, as crooked-backed, crooked-clawed, crooked-eyed, crooked-houghed, crooked-legged, crooked-lined, crooked-lipped, crooked-neck(ed) (spec. applied to a variety of squash: cf. crook-neck n.; U.S.), crooked-pated, crooked-shouldered, etc. adjs.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > deformity > deformities of specific parts > [adjective] > of shoulders
crooked-shoulderedc1515
crump-shouldered1542
out-shouldered1579
crook-shouldered1580
round-shouldered1586
crumped-shouldered1603
round1702
hump-shouldereda1704
stoop-shouldered1748
huck-shouldered1847
the world > health and disease > ill health > deformity > deformities of specific parts > [adjective] > of legs > having
leglessc1390
bow-legged1552
crook-legged1580
shackle-hammed1592
baker-kneed1611
baker-legged1611
buckle-hammed1629
out-shinned1682
bandy-legged1688
crooked-legged1691
shackled-ham'd1733
badger-legged1738
tailor-legged1768
knock-kneed1774
scissor-legged1880
the world > plants > particular plants > cultivated or valued plants > particular food plant or plant product > particular vegetables > [adjective] > of or relating to squash or pumpkin
crooked-neck(ed)1784
summer squash1801
crook-necked1818
the world > health and disease > ill health > deformity > deformities of specific parts > [adjective] > hump back
hoveredc897
embossedc1430
bow-backed1470
crook-backed1477
courbe-backed1480
bunch-backed1519
hunchbacked1598
buncht-back1603
crouch-backed1606
hulch1611
hulch-backed1611
hulched1611
crouchback1627
camel-backed1631
huck-backed1631
hulchy1632
boss-backed1640
gibbous1646
huckle-backeda1652
hulck-backed1656
hunched1656
crump-backeda1661
humpbacked1681
humped1713
humpback1726
humptya1825
hunchy1841
bible-backed1857
crooked-backed1866
cyphotic1889
c1515 Ld. Berners tr. Bk. Duke Huon of Burdeux (1882–7) xxi. 63 He is..crokyd shulderyd.
a1616 W. Shakespeare As you like It (1623) iii. ii. 79 A crooked-pated olde..Ramme. View more context for this quotation
1691 London Gaz. No. 2691/4 A dark brown-bay Mare..crooked Legg'd behind.
1784 Massachusetts Spy 22 Apr. 1/1 Crooked neck squash.
1804 T. G. Fessenden Orig. Poems 30 Like nice crook'd neck'd squash on the ground.
1841 Lowell (Mass.) Offering 1 79 Over the fire-place was our crooked necked squashes.
1853 W. J. Hickie tr. Aristophanes Comedies I. 321 These here crooked-clawed birds.
1866 A. Trollope Belton Estate II. ii. 30 Small and crooked-backed.
1870 C. D. Warner My Summer in Garden viii. 104 The summer squash..was nearly all leaf and blow, with only a sickly crooked-necked fruit after a mighty fuss.
C2. † crooked-rig n. Obsolete (rig = back), crook-back.
crooked-bill n. a name for the avocet n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > animals > birds > order Charadriiformes > [noun] > family Recurvirostridae > member of genus Recurvirostra (avocet)
scooper1668
shoeing-horn1668
crooked-bill1705
cobbler's awl1759
picarini1770
yelper1770
avocet1771
scooping avocet1776
red-necked avocet1823
bluestocking1844
shoehorn1864
1705 tr. W. Bosman New Descr. Coast of Guinea xv. 264 Crooked-bills and several sorts of Snipes.
ΘΚΠ
the world > health and disease > ill health > deformity > deformities of specific parts > [noun] > hump back
crooked-rig1382
crouchbackc1491
crook-back?1507
bunch-back1618
crump-backa1661
humpback1697
hunchback1718
huckle-back1762
cyphosis1847
bowbackedness1864
kyphosis-
1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) Lev. xxi. 20 If crokid rigge or bleer eyed.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1893; most recently modified version published online June 2022).
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adj.?c1225