crawl1 verbcrawl2 noun
crawlcrawl1 /krɔːl $ krɒːl/ ●●○ verb [intransitive] 
Word OriginWORD ORIGINcrawl1
Verb TableOrigin:
1300-1400 Old Norse kraflaVERB TABLE
crawl
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | crawl |
| he, she, it | crawls | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | crawled |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have crawled |
| he, she, it | has crawled | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had crawled |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will crawl |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have crawled |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am crawling |
| he, she, it | is crawling | |
| you, we, they | are crawling | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was crawling |
| you, we, they | were crawling | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been crawling |
| he, she, it | has been crawling | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been crawling |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be crawling |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been crawling |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- It took several hours to drive the 50 miles, crawling along through the snow.
- The old Buick barely managed to crawl up the hill.
- We sat in the car with the radio on, crawling along behind a long line of other cars.
- When did Sam start crawling?
- Fearful, yet inquisitive, Moon-Watcher crawled out on to the edge of the cave and peered down the face of the cliff.
- Glover would crawl out after him on the roof at the top of the house and look down on the lake.
- It terrified her to think that the whole riddled mountain crawled with men like that one.
- Miguel crawled up the street slowly, slipping into a parking spot a block down from the fire.
- She crawled out of bed, peered into the mirror, and gave a small groan.
- They also stop insects crawling up the waste pipes.
- They seemed to be crawling in the tunnel for a lifetime before they found another grille.
- You either hear this truth or you crawl along the ground looking for worms.
Longman Language Activatorwhen a place is full of animals, people etc► be teeming with
Collocations be full of people, animals, insects etc all moving around: · The small stretch of water was teeming with wildfowl.· Times Square was teeming with theater-goers.· The tragedy is that this whole region remains teeming with desperately poor people.
► be swarming/crawling with to be very full of animals, people, insects etc, all moving around very quickly or busily - use this especially when you think this is unpleasant in some way: · At this time of year the town is usually crawling with tourists.· The campsite was filthy and swarming with flies.· Our hotel room was crawling with bugs and roaches.
► be jammed to be full of a lot of people standing or sitting very close together: · Japanese trains may be jammed, but at least they are punctual.be jammed with: · The room was jammed with fans trying to get his autograph.
to move slowly towards or away from something or someone► crawl if a vehicle crawls , it moves very slowly, because there is a lot of other traffic on the road, or because something is preventing it from moving at its usual speed: crawl along/down/up etc: · The old Buick barely managed to crawl up the hill.· We sat in the car with the radio on, crawling along behind a long line of other cars.
► inch to move very slowly and carefully, stopping regularly, for example because there is not much space or because you do not want to be noticed: inch towards/forward/across etc: · The car inched forward into the narrow parking space.· We watched the cat inching along the ground, not taking its eyes off the bird for a second.inch your way along/towards/across etc: · I inched my way across the crowded room to where Lou was standing.
► edge to move very slowly and carefully, stopping regularly, for example because you do not want to be noticed or because it would be dangerous to move more quickly: edge along/towards/across etc: · I started edging towards the door, hoping to slip away unnoticed.· He kept an eye on me as he edged across the room.· Billy edged along the ledge, trying not to look down.
► creep if light, a shadow, mist, water etc creeps somewhere, it moves so slowly that you almost do not notice it; if someone creeps somewhere, they move slowly and quietly so that they will not be noticed: creep across/towards/up etc: · Clouds crept across the horizon, just above the line of trees.· Armed men in ski masks crept up on the van and raked it with gunfire.· As the sun began to set, long shadows seemed to creep out of the corners.· We crept down to the deserted library at the other end of the hall, so that we could talk.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► crawl into bed
Phrases (=get into bed feeling very tired)· We finally crawled into bed at three in the morning.
► an insect crawls (=moves along the ground)· A tiny insect was crawling up his arm.
► a spider crawls somewhere· A huge spider just crawled under that chair.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB► about· There were several families under the trees now, with little children running around and babies crawling about in the grass.· Unlike those I had found in the winter, these ants crawled about weakly.· Individual cells may crawl about over the surface of the sponge like amoebae.· It crawled about outside the murmuring door and fell to the earth.· Primeval and unfinished, crawling about like a busy white slug.· Its tiny head and legs project from one side but it can no longer crawl about.· He was strong, crawled about for a short while and walked quite strongly at ten months.
► along· He crawled along the branch until he reached the nearest flower.· Paranoia crawls along on its belly in this forest.· He crawled along the shelf, peering, feeling with his hands.· Below, cars crawl along on mats of shadow; further off are two long ranks of primrose-yellow taxis.· You either hear this truth or you crawl along the ground looking for worms.
► around· Just as soon as the young ferrets can see and crawl around the nest is the time to make a start.· Inspectors may have to climb ladders or many flights of stairs, or may have to crawl around in tight spaces.· Sooner or later you will find one or more adult insects crawling around inside the cage.· Teddi was just out of her crib, and my parents had let her crawl around to play with her toys.· All I can remember is crawling around the floor trying to get away from her.· But it gave you some pause to think of what else might be crawling around there.· The hands had crawled around to 1.26 a.m.· Robert and Peter were crawling around under there, poking sills and floor joists.
► away· She felt cold and sick and wished she could crawl away and lie down.· Last he heard, only one boy had dropped to the ground and managed to crawl away.· Maggie felt like curling up and crawling away.· But they crawl away from the fire and wriggle on top of the water.· The fifth turned into a small yellow caterpillar and crawled away.· If I had believed what they said about me, I would have crawled away and given up.· Angalo nodded in a puzzled fashion, and crawled away into the darkness.· It left a mark, they could see it now, gleaming on the sand as muddy swell crawled away.
► back· Clutching himself he crawled back to the cabinet and ran a tentative hand over the woodwork.· Later, he's the one who's dumped and comes crawling back.· Tom crawled back out into the sun and pulled Willie out after him.· He regained consciousness and crawled back to the house to be taken care of by his young wife.· They can find a way to crawl back if they want to.· The other survivor, Bennett, crawled back and has since lain a cripple.· Jinju had crawled back to the road.
► down· Secrets, she thought, feeling a cold, clammy fear crawling down her neck.· I told her the whole ugly story, and step by step I crawled down into the horror of it again.· I have crawled down the barrels of guns on all five continents, only to spring forth again - triumphant.· It crawls down the vine and enters the soil, whereupon it reaches and punctures the roots for nourishment.
► forward· Then she crawled forward again, by inches.· Miguel was parking the car-backing up, crawling forward, until the trunk of the Ford Escort ahead gleamed with his headlights.· She began to crawl forward again, her eyes continually flickering between the tracks on either side of her.· The shell would barely crawl forward, and certainly not overtake light.
► in· He crawled in here and the police came.· The ravenous little blood-suckers were nipping at our ankles and crawling in through the eyelets of our boots.· I might even be able to crawl in beside Helen for an hour.· I was a little more agile and just jumped and crawled in.· They crawled in, Creed crouched over her, Prunella taking most of his weight.· What made you want to crawl in with them mucky birds like that?
► off· I brought my family in to see him, but he crawled off to hide among some pots.· Now it is a dumb, stupid mastodon of a thing, crawling off to Bal Harbour to die.· Surely these forces can not result in the ship crawling off the launch pad?· Even drunks at parties manage to crawl off the mats to be ill.· She would have hated it if she had to admit defeat, and crawl off to a hotel somewhere.· I crawled off his body and sat down in the road, tears streaming down my face.· A camera catches a technician crawling ofF the set!
► on· It was like being the first sea creature to crawl on to the shore and discover his gills had become lungs.· She crawled on the ground in agony, fingers digging into the sandy soil like steel claws.· She crawled on to the bed and hugged herself like a child with no one there to bring comfort.· The Cockroach crawls on, at least for another day.· And so the morning crawled on.· He roared and crawled on up the valley.
► out· I crawled out cold, cramped, and feeling sick - to a world that seemed to have disappeared altogether.· Glover would crawl out after him on the roof at the top of the house and look down on the lake.· I awoke feeling cold and crawled out to the front of the trench.· Used to crawl out on the roof in that little pink wrapper, but not anymore.· He crawls out, his face streaked with oil, and dries himself with a rag.· Fearful, yet inquisitive, Moon-Watcher crawled out on to the edge of the cave and peered down the face of the cliff.· Not until they come down will people begin to crawl out from under their loads of debt.· He was so tired his bones ached; but he crawled out of bed, put on his pants and watch.
► over· I am a fly on the face of the Almighty, crawling over the surface to see what's what.· Directly below her were some tiny creatures crawling over the surface.· Shivers crawled over her heated skin, her palms went clammy, and the blood drummed in her ears deafeningly.· He crawled over to the fallen branch by the big pine, found his second shotgun and unwrapped it.· The temptation to crawl over to him was strong, but she resisted.· Small birds flitted in the shade of the branches and bees were crawling over the red and white clover.· A mass of flies buzzed out of the knee-high undergrowth and crawled over his face and arms.· Men crawled over the area like ants over an anthill, and several small handcarts rolled along here and there.
► round· As it crawls round and round in circles it keeps revisiting the same pebbles.· Reaching the point where Fernand had disappeared, she crawled round the angle of rock.· Ten yards further on, Siegfried found a trip-wire and gestured McCready to crawl round it.
► up· I stood, swayed, dropped my hands to the steps and crawled up.· Miguel crawled up the street slowly, slipping into a parking spot a block down from the fire.· They also stop insects crawling up the waste pipes.· He crawls up to her on all fours like a gentle but ravenous bear and begins to nuzzle her.· He tried to crawl up her and she screamed and fell over.· Then one morning I wake to feel one crawling up my arm.· The larvae of red worms crawl up the blades of grass and are eaten by horses.· He left the place quickly, embarrassment crawling up his neck as he found his way to the door.
NOUN► ant· Then ants would crawl through the cracks in the floor and build a big nest in the middle of the bedroom.· Unlike those I had found in the winter, these ants crawled about weakly.· All he was aware of now were ants crawling up the leg on an endless march towards the wound.· A million red ants crawling inside a silk sheet, that was what I should have seen.
► bed· She crawled out of bed, peered into the mirror, and gave a small groan.· He was so tired his bones ached; but he crawled out of bed, put on his pants and watch.· A second slab of beef has crawled out of bed and found his doorknob.· Once, a few years ago, his father had broken into the house and crawled into his bed.· It would be wonderful to crawl into bed, to ask Matron for an aspirin.· She snapped him up as soon as he finished the sausage she fed him and he crawled into her bed crying.· She crawled on to the bed and hugged herself like a child with no one there to bring comfort.· Jen came out of the bathroom, dressed in a shirt this time, and crawled into bed alongside me.
► floor· Sobbing, gasping for breath, she began to crawl across the floor.· She crawled across the floor in the darkness, her body drenched in sweat, her eyes stinging from all the smoke.· She fell down on her knees and began crawling across the floor.· All I can remember is crawling around the floor trying to get away from her.
► hand· She peered out and saw him crawling on hands and knees along the ledge.· She crawled on her hands and knees.· He crawled on hand and knees across the landing, the ancient boards creaking beneath him.· Nuri was on the beach, waiting, when I crawled up on my hands and knees.· A small baby crawled out on its hands and knees, its face covered in grime.· A climber literally crawls, hand over hand, up a vertical face, sinking the ax with every step.
► place· The place was crawling with kids - bundles, toddlers, nippers, loping adolescents.· He left the place quickly, embarrassment crawling up his neck as he found his way to the door.· The place was crawling with closets, and not a thing worth stealing in any of them.
► skin· Despite the heat of the sun, her skin was crawling with goosepimples.· The woman made his skin crawl.· You may even feel your skin crawling after a difficult meeting or with the impact of crowds of people.
► wall· Water rose up through the floorboards; blackening fungus crawled over the walls.· The rats eat that poison, then they crawl into your walls and die.
► woodwork· They could smell a funeral a mile off, and out they crawled, out of the woodwork.· There are wallabies crawling out of the woodwork.· Just the club cashing in with the sad sheep crawling out of the woodwork everywhere.
► worm· The larvae of red worms crawl up the blades of grass and are eaten by horses.· He played an almost extinct worm crawling through dead leaves.· Or let the worms crawl on dry newspaper and listen to them carefully.· The worms crawl on to the sticks, which can then be picked up and dipped directly into the fry tank.· The root gives off a chemical which incites the worms to hatch and crawl into it.
VERB► begin· Sobbing, gasping for breath, she began to crawl across the floor.· After Smitty had gone out, Converse began to crawl to-ward the bathroom door.· He began to crawl uncertainly around.· He covered himself with a blanket that suddenly seemed to move on its own-an army of insects began crawling over his skin.· She began to crawl and he almost lost her.· Not until they come down will people begin to crawl out from under their loads of debt.· She fell down on her knees and began crawling across the floor.
► manage· A blast of air knocked him over but he managed to crawl through a tunnel under Euston Road.· Last he heard, only one boy had dropped to the ground and managed to crawl away.· Mr Duddy spent a day stuck on the sheer sides of the cone before managing to crawl out on his own.· Even drunks at parties manage to crawl off the mats to be ill.
► start· He sent Charles back to start crawling.· Two other wounded men and myself started crawling farther.· Then he started crawling toward a parking sign.· This time, I stayed down and started crawling.
► try· He tried to crawl up her and she screamed and fell over.· The three of us shrieked hysterically as one lobster tried to crawl his way out up the sides.· Sergeant Alan King died after being stabbed repeatedly by Vernage as he tried to crawl to safety.· Seeing the video, she tried to crawl into the television set, then dove, hysterical, under the bed.· Then you will easily see any you may have dropped which are trying to crawl away.· Down below on the staircase, the thing that had been Farley Peters was trying to crawl up the steps towards him.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► crawl the Net/web► crawl into/out of bed► be crawling with somethingPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► make somebody’s flesh creep/crawl► make somebody’s skin crawl► be climbing/crawling (up) the walls► crawl/come out of the woodwork
1- He was so tired his bones ached; but he crawled out of bed, put on his pants and watch.
- The apartments were crawling with rats and fleas.
- And the Internet is crawling with sports fans.
- But that hotel has been gone for years, and the pools must be crawling with snakes.
- Despite the heat of the sun, her skin was crawling with goosepimples.
- It felt like he was crawling with bugs.
- Lisbon was crawling with spies, and information changed hands for vast amounts of money.
- My mind was crawling with it all.
- The building is crawling with people who seem to care less about the job itself than about holding on to it.
- The place was crawling with kids - bundles, toddlers, nippers, loping adolescents.
- The thought of him touching me just makes my skin crawl.
- It made her skin crawl, the deference.
- The woman made his skin crawl.
- They make the skin crawl like it is on fire, even as it is bathed in sweat.
- Realizes he is moving in her desperately, as if he is climbing the walls of a closed building.
- Creativity was coming out of the woodwork.
- There are wallabies crawling out of the woodwork.
to move along on your hands and knees with your body close to the groundcrawl along/across etc
The baby crawled across the floor.2if an insect crawls, it moves using its legscrawl over/up etc There’s a bug crawling up your leg.3crawl into/out of bed to get into or out of bed slowly because you are very tired: We crawled into bed at 2 am.4if a vehicle crawls, it moves forward very slowlycrawl by/along etc The traffic was crawling along.5 British English informal to be too pleasant or helpful to someone in authority, especially because you want them to help you – used to show disapprovalcrawl to She’s always crawling to the boss.6be crawling with something to be completely covered with insects, people etc: The floor was crawling with ants. The whole place was crawling with cops.7crawl the Net/web if a computer program crawls the Net, it quickly searches the Internet to find the particular information you need → spider: robots that crawl the net searching out e-mail addresses for junk mailingcrawl1 verbcrawl2 noun
crawlcrawl2 noun [singular] ExamplesEXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Collocations- Traffic has slowed to a crawl.
- Her scissors move through the material like a swimmer doing crawl, among the archipelago of tissue paper.
- The entrance is dry but soon becomes low, developing into a crawl where the stream from Lower Long Churn is admitted.
- We go back in a creepy crawl up the trail, same scenario.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES► crawl into bed
Phrases (=get into bed feeling very tired)· We finally crawled into bed at three in the morning.
► an insect crawls (=moves along the ground)· A tiny insect was crawling up his arm.
► a spider crawls somewhere· A huge spider just crawled under that chair.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN► pub· Drinkers Plan: The traditional pub crawl doesn't have to be another dreary Friday night wander.· The last bar on my pub crawl is the most contentious.· But it was more than just a pub crawl.
► skin· It made her skin crawl, the deference.· They make the skin crawl like it is on fire, even as it is bathed in sweat.
► space· The first is the crawl space beneath any suspended timber floors, where rot can quickly develop unless ventilation is good.· Teacher Song, a slender man, fit easily into the crawl space.· Chang-Kyu would hide in the crawl space under the floor.· Under most floors were dirt crawl spaces that could be used for storage.· Hindered by scolding women and jeering men, the soldiers lowered themselves into the cramped crawl spaces.· Q.. The tub drain and trap under a bathroom and over a crawl space froze last winter.
VERB► make· But it was Gerry Conlon's account of being interrogated after the Guildford bombings that made the scalp crawl.· It made her skin crawl, the deference.· They make the skin crawl like it is on fire, even as it is bathed in sweat.
► slow· It seemed to take for ever, slowing to a crawl as it drew parallel with him.· Industrial expansion had slowed to a crawl.· Adam slowed to a crawl, as if stopping for him.· And discussions over the construction of theme parks and movie theaters slowed to a crawl.· Sometimes when the movie slows to a crawl, they chain-smoke while wearing hats.· Here, though, time slows to a crawl.· The ball just seemed to slow down and crawl through the air....
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► make somebody’s flesh creep/crawl► make somebody’s skin crawl► be climbing/crawling (up) the walls► crawl/come out of the woodwork
1a very slow speed: - The thought of him touching me just makes my skin crawl.
- It made her skin crawl, the deference.
- The woman made his skin crawl.
- They make the skin crawl like it is on fire, even as it is bathed in sweat.
- Realizes he is moving in her desperately, as if he is climbing the walls of a closed building.
- Creativity was coming out of the woodwork.
- There are wallabies crawling out of the woodwork.
The traffic had slowed to a crawl.2 the crawl a way of swimming in which you lie on your stomach and move one arm, and then the other, over your head → backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly