What is the meaning of crawl?

noun

  • A very slow movement.
    • usage: "the traffic advanced at a crawl"
  • A swimming stroke; arms are moved alternately overhead accompanied by a flutter kick.
  • A slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body.
    • usage: "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.
    • usage: "The crocodile was crawling along the riverbed"
  • Feel as if crawling with insects.
    • usage: "My skin crawled-I was terrified"
  • Be full of.
    • usage: "The old cheese was crawling with maggots"
  • Show submission or fear.
  • Swim by doing the crawl.
    • usage: "European children learn the breast stroke; they often don't know how to crawl"
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APAWordNet. (2010). crawl. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/crawl/definitions/1189882
ChicagoWordNet. 2010. "crawl" http://smartdefine.org/crawl/definitions/1189882 (accessed September 20, 2026).
HarvardWordNet 2010, crawl, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/crawl/definitions/1189882>.
MLAWordNet. "crawl" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/crawl/definitions/1189882>
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