crawl Meaning, Definition & Usage

noun a very slow movement
- the traffic advanced at a crawl
noun a swimming stroke; arms are moved alternately overhead accompanied by a flutter kick
Australian crawl; front crawl.
noun a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
creeping; creep; crawling.
- a crawl was all that the injured man could manage
- the traffic moved at a creep
verb move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
creep.
- The crocodile was crawling along the riverbed
verb feel as if crawling with insects
- My skin crawled--I was terrified
verb be full of
- The old cheese was crawling with maggots
verb show submission or fear
fawn; grovel; cower; cringe; creep.
verb swim by doing the crawl; they often don't know how to crawl"
- European children learn the breast stroke

Dan. kravle, or Icel. krafla, to paw, scrabble with the hands; akin to Sw. krla to crawl; cf. LG. krabbeln, D. krabbelen to scratch.

imperfect & past participle Crawled present participle & verbal noun Crawling

To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to move slowly on hands and kness; to creep.
A worm finds what it searches after only by feeling, as it crawls from one thing to another. Grew.
Hence, to move or advance in a feeble, slow, or timorous manner.
He was hardly able to crawl about the room. Arbuthnot.

The meanest thing that crawl'd beneath my eyes. Byron.
To advance slowly and furtively; to insinuate one's self; to advance or gain influence by servile or obsequious conduct.
Secretly crawling up the battered walls. Knolles.

Hath crawled into the favor of the king. Shak.

Absurd opinions crawl about the world. South.
To have a sensation as of insect creeping over the body; as, the flesh crawls. See Creep, v. i. ,7.