From Middle English crawlen, crewlen, creulen, crallen, *cravelen, from Old Norse krafla (compare Danish kravle (“to crawl, creep”), Swedish kravla, kräla (“to creep, crawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *krablōną (compare Saterland Frisian krabbelje, Dutch krabbelen, German Low German krabbeln, German krabbeln), frequentative of *krabbōną (“to scratch, scrape”). Compare also Saterland Frisian krauelje (“to crawl, scuttle”), West Frisian kreauwelje (“to crawl”), Dutch krevelen, krieuwelen (“to crawl”), German Low German kribbeln, German kribbeln (“to creep, crawl, tingle”). See also crab, crabble.
Meanings
The act of moving slowly on hands and knees, etc.
The act of sequentially visiting a series of similar establishments (i.e., a bar crawl).
A rapid swimming stroke with alternate overarm strokes and a fluttering kick.
(figuratively) A very slow pace.
My computer has slowed down to a crawl since I installed that software package.
A piece of horizontally or vertically scrolling text overlaid on the main image.
22 March 2012, Scott Tobias, AV Club The Hunger Gameshttp://www.avclub.com/articles/the-hunger-games,71293/
The opening crawl (and a stirring propaganda movie) informs us that “The Hunger Games” are an annual event in Panem, a North American nation divided into 12 different districts, each in service to the Capitol, a wealthy metropolis that owes its creature comforts to an oppressive dictatorship.
ms gaya rangkak (swimming stroke) · cmn 自由泳 (swimming stroke) · sk kraul (swimming stroke) · zza xolınce (swimming stroke) · hu krallozás (swimming stroke) · sv crawl (swimming stroke) · es crol (swimming stroke) · es estilo crol (swimming stroke) · fo krovl (swimming stroke) · da crawl (swimming stroke) · it crawl (swimming stroke) · hu ollózás (swimming stroke) · hu araszolás (a very slow pace) · hu csigalépés (a very slow pace) · es paso de tortuga (a very slow pace) · de Schneckentempo (a very slow pace) · ja クロール (swimming stroke) · cs kraul (swimming stroke) · pl kraul (swimming stroke) · pt crawl (swimming stroke) · cs plazení se (a very slow pace) · fr crawl (swimming stroke) · ca crol (swimming stroke) · cs šnečí tempo (a very slow pace) · cs ploužení se (a very slow pace) · hu kallózás (swimming stroke) · is skriðsund (swimming stroke) · de Kraul (swimming stroke) · fi krooli (swimming stroke) · pt crol (swimming stroke) · hu vánszorgás (a very slow pace) · ru кроль (swimming stroke) · el κρόουλ (swimming stroke) · bg кро́ул (swimming stroke) · ro craul (swimming stroke)
From Middle English crawlen, crewlen, creulen, crallen, *cravelen, from Old Norse krafla (compare Danish kravle (“to crawl, creep”), Swedish kravla, kräla (“to creep, crawl”)), from Proto-Germanic *krablōną (compare Saterland Frisian krabbelje, Dutch krabbelen, German Low German krabbeln, German krabbeln), frequentative of *krabbōną (“to scratch, scrape”). Compare also Saterland Frisian krauelje (“to crawl, scuttle”), West Frisian kreauwelje (“to crawl”), Dutch krevelen, krieuwelen (“to crawl”), German Low German kribbeln, German kribbeln (“to creep, crawl, tingle”). See also crab, crabble.
Meanings
(intransitive) To move by dragging one's body along or close to a surface, like a worm or insect, or on one's hands and knees, like a human baby.
'Children crawled over each other like little grey worms in the gutters,' he said. 'The only red things about them were their buttocks and they were raw. Their faces looked as if snails had slimed on them and their mothers were like great sick beasts whose byres had never been cleared.[…]' 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter VII, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
[…] a large group of tornits approached, crawling over floor, wall and ceiling alike, their golden animal eyes glinting against the light of the occasional mushroom. 2021, Maximilian Hawker, Rory Hobble and the Voyage to Haligogen (page 250?)
A VVorm finds vvhat it ſearches after, only by Feeling, as it cravvls from one thing to another. VVhereas a Man, having Eyes, ſees it in a Moment, all before him. 1701, Nehemiah Grew, “Of Celestial Mind”, in Cosmologia Sacra: Or A Discourse of the Universe as It is the Creature and Kingdom of God. […], London: […] W[illiam] Rogers, S[amuel] Smith, and B[enjamin] Walford: […], →OCLC, 2nd book, paragraph 32, page 83:
Clutching my wounded side, I crawled back to the trench.
The other species was a scale worm, Lepidonotus cirratus, which, when undisturbed, crawled rapidly about, reminding one of a centipede, but with the addition of numbers of hairy spines at each side and over-lapping scales. 1915, Vasculum (Substitute), volumes 1-5, page 84
(intransitive) To move or progress slowly or laboriously, or with great difficulty (for example due to feebleness) or frequent stops.
The rush-hour traffic crawled around the bypass.
[…] and catching hold with his hand upon the rough cragges, […] he crawled up to the toppe thereof 1603, Philemon Holland, The Philosophie, commonlie called, The Morals written by the learned Philoſopher Plutarch of Chæronea:
Sickneese posteth to us, but crawleth from us. 1654, R. Whitlock, Zootomia, 124
While we Vnburthen'd crawle toward death. 1605, Shakespeare, Lear, I, i, 42
Months and seasons crawled along, 1850, Kingsley, Alt. Locke, xxx
(intransitive) To advance by guile and servility; to act in a servile manner, trying to please someone in order to gain favor.
Don’t come crawling to me with your useless apologies!
Our hard-ruled king. Again, there is sprung up. An heretic, an arch one, Cranmer; one. Hath crawled into the favour of the king 1613 (date written), William Shakespeare, [John Fletcher], “The Famous History of the Life of King Henry the Eight”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene ii]:
To spread by extending tendrils, stems, or branches; to creep or trail (as a vine).
Passion-flowers, ipomaeas, and hibiscus crawled over every wall. 1867, Lady Herbert, Cradle L., ii. 57:
The old house was covered in vines crawling over every available surface.
A little […] Nerve […] which crawls up and down the Coat of the Liver. 1668, Culpepper and Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. xv. 38
(intransitive, transitive) To swim using the crawl stroke.
I think I'll crawl instead of breaststroke.
I think I'll crawl the next hundred metres.
(intransitive) Followed by with: see crawl with.
(intransitive) To feel a swarming sensation; to have a sensation like that produced by insects crawling over one's body.
The horrible sight made my skin crawl.
[Their] dirtiness positively made me crawl. 1880, Robert Grant, The Confessions of a Frivolous Girl: A Story of Fashioable Life, page 161:
(intransitive, of paint or varnish, qualifier:ceramic glaze; etc; ceramic glaze; etc) To spread unevenly; to fail to be or remain evenly spread.
(transitive) To move over (an area) on hands and knees, or by dragging the body along.
His Slav features regarded me with the wooden indifference he would have shown to an insect crawling the wall. 1944 August 14, Blue Book magazine:
The baby crawled the entire second floor.
Wilbur thought of Ronnie being up above. He crawled the ladder as fast as he could, […] 1998, None, Thy Will Be Done: 134 Touching Personal Stories of Fatalities Among Plain People:
[…] the nightmare horrors that crawled the reeking walls and floor. 1912, Harold Grahame Richards, Centene, page 87:
(transitive) To move over (an area) slowly, with frequent stops.
One of the later Crawl trailers, the Nintendo Switch version, advertises its key gameplay in a sentence, “Crawl the dungeon while your friends possess the traps, beasts, and bosses against you” before later adopting the phrase […] 2021, Antonio Alcala Gonzalez, Carl H. Sederholm, Lovecraft in the 21st Century: Dead, But Still Dreaming, Routledge, →ISBN:
"I used to crawl the Dungeon like you do, Bell, saving up money... But one day, I screwed verything up. Got thoroughly wrecked by a monster, and it ate my right arm." 2015, Fujino Omori, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, Vol. 4 (light novel), Yen Press LLC, →ISBN:
They crawled the downtown bars.
Eric had crawled the downtown bar scene with these guys many nights, after gigs and back when they were all in college together. Eric liked hanging with them, because they were as comfortable hanging anywhere—sports bars; gay clubs; […] 2019, Leigh Landry, Cajun Two-Step: The Complete Series, Leigh Landry:
(Internet, transitive) To visit (files or web sites) in order to index them for searching.
Yahoo Search has updated its Slurp Crawler to crawl websites faster and more efficiently.
ta தவழ் (to move along the ground) · ia reptar (to move along the ground) · fy krûpe (to move along the ground) · fr avoir la chair de poule (to feel swarming sensation) · it rastrellare (to index files or web sites in order to make them available for search) · oc rebalar (to move along the ground) · uk по́взати (to act in a servile manner) · de krabbeln (to move along the ground) · ka ხოხვა (to move along the ground) · hu hemzseg (to teem or swarm) · de wimmeln (to teem or swarm) · ru ползти́ (to move slowly) · da krybe (to move along the ground) · ja 這う (to move along the ground) · az sürünmək (to move slowly) · hi घिसटना (to move along the ground) · he הזדחל (to move slowly) · zza buli kewten (to act in a servile manner) · ka ცოცვა (to move along the ground) · sk plaziť sa (to move along the ground) · ang smūgan (to move along the ground) · oc reptar (to move along the ground) · it strisciare (to move along the ground) · el κάνω κρόουλ (to swim using crawl stroke) · pl czworakować (to move over an area on hands and knees) · de kriechen (to move slowly) · mi toro (to move along the ground) · pt engatinhar (to move over an area on hands and knees) · la rēpō (to move along the ground) · it nuotare a crawl (to swim using crawl stroke) · fi kroolata (to swim using crawl stroke) · th คลาน (to move along the ground) · sh пузити (to move along the ground) · de kraulen (to swim using crawl stroke) · fi saada kylmiä väreitä (to feel swarming sensation) · sh puziti (to move along the ground) · got 𐍃𐌻𐌹𐌿𐍀𐌰𐌽 (to move along the ground) · cmn 爬行 (to move along the ground) · ltg ruopuot (to move along the ground) · be по́ўзаць (to move along the ground) · vi trườn (to move along the ground) · crh baqalamaq (to move along the ground) · ru по́лзать (to move along the ground) · vi bò (to move along the ground) · az sürünmək (to move along the ground) · rar toro (to move along the ground) · ru пресмыка́ться (to act in a servile manner) · fi ryömiä (to act in a servile manner) · hu krallozik (to swim using crawl stroke) · pt rastejar (to act in a servile manner) · pt formigar (to feel swarming sensation) · yi פּויזען (to move along the ground) · nah coyonenemi (to move along the ground) · ty toro (to move along the ground) · ar دَبَّ (to move along the ground) · hu kallózik (to swim using crawl stroke) · hu nyal (to act in a servile manner) · hu hízeleg (to act in a servile manner) · de kriechen (to move along the ground) · it brulicare (to teem or swarm) · yi קריכן (to move along the ground) · cmn 匍匐 (to move along the ground) · pl raczkować (to move over an area on hands and knees) · cs lézt (to move along the ground) · my တွား (to move along the ground) · grc ἕρπω (to move along the ground) · hu ollózik (to swim using crawl stroke) · cmn 爬 (to move along the ground) · ht ranpe (to move along the ground) · sh plaziti (to move along the ground) · pl czołgać się (to move along the ground) · es reptar (to move along the ground) · be паўзці́ (to move along the ground) · fo grulva (to move along the ground) · fi kömpiä (to move along the ground) · uk плести́ся (to move slowly) · sh пузати (to move along the ground) · fr faire le crawl (to swim using crawl stroke) · ru поползти́ (to move along the ground) · cmn 爬取 (to index files or web sites in order to make them available for search) · bg гъмжа (to teem or swarm) · sl plaziti se (to move along the ground) · gd snàig (to move along the ground) · da kravle (to move along the ground) · yao kukwaŵa (to move along the ground) · hu négykézláb mászkál (to move over an area on hands and knees) · la serpō (to move slowly) · fi ryömiä (to move slowly) · tr emeklemek (to move along the ground) · sv krypa (to move along the ground) · mnc ᠮᡳᠴᡠᠮᠪᡳ (to move along the ground) · ko 기다 (to move along the ground) · fr avancer au pas (to move slowly) · ko 기어가다 (to move along the ground) · bg ла́зя (to move along the ground) · eo rampi (to move along the ground) · es humillarse (to act in a servile manner) · zza bulinen (to move slowly) · ru ползти́ (to move along the ground) · oc serpar (to move along the ground) · gd èalaidh (to move slowly) · he זחל (to move along the ground) · hu zsibbad (to feel swarming sensation) · ru уго́дничать (to act in a servile manner) · hy սողալ (to move along the ground) · hu bizsereg (to feel swarming sensation) · cs plazit se (před kým) (to act in a servile manner) · dsb lězć (to move slowly) · pl pełznąć (to move along the ground) · ru попо́лзать (to move along the ground) · sh puzati (to move along the ground) · pt reptar (to move along the ground) · ca arrossegar-se (to move along the ground) · no krype (to move along the ground) · bg уго́днича (to act in a servile manner) · sh плазити (to move along the ground) · fi könytä (to move along the ground) · el μπουσουλάω (to move over an area on hands and knees) · pt arrastar-se (to move along the ground) · es gatear (to move along the ground) · ga bí ag lámhacán (to move over an area on hands and knees) · uk повзти́ (to move along the ground) · hu kúszik (to move along the ground) · pl raczkować (to move along the ground) · cs hemžit se (to teem or swarm) · fi kontata (to act in a servile manner) · chr ᎠᏓᎾᏏᏅᏍᏗ (to move along the ground) · ms rangkak (to move along the ground) · ru лебези́ть (to act in a servile manner) · ru кише́ть (to teem or swarm) · nl kruipen (to move along the ground) · uk чимчикува́т (to move slowly) · lt ropoti (to move along the ground) · de krabbeln (to feel swarming sensation) · fr s'aplatir (to act in a servile manner) · mn мөлхөх (to move along the ground) · az iməkləmək (to move along the ground) · hu megalázkodik (to act in a servile manner) · fi kontata läpi (to move over an area on hands and knees) · ta ஊர் (to feel swarming sensation) · fr grouiller de (to teem or swarm) · gd èalaidh (to move along the ground) · bg пълзя́ (to move over an area on hands and knees) · fr grouiller (to teem or swarm) · hu mászik (to move along the ground) · el έρπω (to move along the ground) · te దేకు (to move slowly) · ro se târî (to move along the ground) · unm pëmùxkwsi (to move along the ground) · es ir a paso de tortuga (to move slowly) · hu vonszolja magát (to move slowly) · zza buli kerden (to move along the ground) · is skríða (to move along the ground) · ca gatejar (to move along the ground) · fi madella (to move slowly) · cs plazit se (to move along the ground) · sv crawla (to swim using crawl stroke) · cs ploužit se (to move slowly) · es estar de cuajado (to teem or swarm) · fi kontata (to move along the ground) · uk плазува́ти (to act in a servile manner) · gd èalaidh (to move over an area on hands and knees) · hu vánszorog (to move slowly) · cmn 爬 (to index files or web sites in order to make them available for search) · sv kräla (to move along the ground) · it gattonare (to move along the ground) · mk ползи (to move along the ground) · dsb lězć (to move along the ground) · te పాకు (to move along the ground) · hu araszol (to move slowly) · ru плыть кро́лем (to swim using crawl stroke) · km លូន (to move along the ground) · dsb łazyś (to move along the ground) · fr ramper (to move along the ground) · bg вла́ча се (to move slowly) · ru заи́скивать (to act in a servile manner) · es rampar (to move along the ground) · cmn 蛇行 (to move along the ground) · pt lesmar (to move slowly) · gsw schnaagge (to move along the ground) · cs vléci se (to move slowly) · ka ბობღვა (to move along the ground) · ar زَحَفَ (to move along the ground) · uk по́взати (to move along the ground) · ta ஊர் (to move slowly) · nrf crépi (to move along the ground) · ceb kamang (to move along the ground) · ru мура́шки по те́лу (to feel swarming sensation) · es estar cuajado (to teem or swarm) · fi ryömiä (to move along the ground) · fa خزیدن (to move along the ground) · bg пълзя́ (to move along the ground) · lo ຄານ (to move along the ground) · ojb ondoode (to move along the ground) · nan-hbl 趖 (to move along the ground) · tg хазидан (to move along the ground) · fr s'aplatir devant (to act in a servile manner) · oc rampar (to move along the ground) · ee ta (to move along the ground) · cmn 抓取 (to index files or web sites in order to make them available for search) · dsb łazyś (to move slowly) · te దేకు (to move along the ground) · es arrastrarse (to act in a servile manner) · cs šinout se (to move slowly) · arz حبى (to move along the ground) · fi indeksoida (to index files or web sites in order to make them available for search) · es arrastrarse (to move along the ground) · pt engatinhar (to move along the ground) · lv rāpot (to move along the ground) · bg плу́вам кро́ул (to swim using crawl stroke) · ta தவழ் (to move over an area on hands and knees) · ang crēopan (to move along the ground) · pl pełzać (to move along the ground) · pt rastejar (to move along the ground) · yi קריכן (to move slowly) · fi madella (to move along the ground) · fi vilistä (to teem or swarm) · ta ஊர் (to teem or swarm) · cmn 匍 (to move along the ground)