crawling

UK: /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

crawling / ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/ noun

1. a defect in freshly applied paint or varnish characterized by bare patches and ridging

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

crawl¹ /krɔl/   v. 

1. [no object] to move with the head or face downward and the body close to the ground, or on the hands and knees.
2. to move or progress slowly:
   [no object] a line of cars crawling toward the beach.
3. to behave in a way that indicates deep fear or that is an attempt to win favor:
   [no object] He came crawling to the boss to ask for his job back.
4. [often: be + ~-ing* ~ + with + object] to be full of:
   The hut was crawling with insects.
5. to visit or go to (pubs, restaurants, etc.) one after the other:
   [~ + object] a night of crawling the pubs.

n. [countable]

6. the act of crawling;
   a slow, crawling motion.
7. a slow rate of progress:
   moving at a crawl through the toll gates.
8. Sport a swimming stroke performed with the front of the body facing downward and one arm then the other rotating over the head, combined with flutter kicks of the legs.

Idioms

9. make one's skin crawl, [ ] to give a feeling of disgust or horror:
   Watching the snakes made my skin crawl.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

crawl¹  (krôl), v.i. 

1. to move in a prone position with the body resting on or close to the ground, as a worm or caterpillar, or on the hands and knees, as a young child.
2. Botany (of plants or vines) to extend tendrils;
   creep.
3. to move or progress slowly or laboriously:
   The line of cars crawled behind the slow-moving truck. The work just crawled until we got the new machines.
4. to behave in a remorseful, abject, or cringing manner:
   Don't come crawling back to me asking for favors.
5. to be, or feel as if, overrun with crawling things:
   The hut crawled with lizards and insects.
6. Ceramics (of a glaze) to spread unevenly over the surface of a piece.
7. (of paint) to raise or contract because of an imperfect bond with the underlying surface.

v.t. 

8. to visit or frequent a series of (esp. bars):
   to crawl the neighborhood pubs.

n. 

9. act of crawling;
   a slow, crawling motion.
10. a slow pace or rate of progress:
    Traffic slowed to a crawl.
11. Sport [Swimming.] a stroke in a prone position, characterized by alternate overarm movements combined with the flutter kick.
12. Radio and Television, Show Business [Television, Motion Pictures.] titles that slowly move across a screen, providing information.

• Old Norse krafla; compare Danish kravle to crawl, creep
• Middle English crawlen 1150–1200

crawl′ing•ly, adv. 
Synonyms

• 1. Crawl, creep refer to methods of moving like reptiles or worms, or on all fours. They are frequently interchangeable, but crawl is used of a more prostrate movement than creep:
  A dog afraid of punishment crawls toward his master.
  Creep expresses slow progress:
  A child creeps before walking or running.

crawl²  (krôl), n. [Chiefly South Atlantic States.]

1. Dialect Terms an enclosure in shallow water on the seacoast, as for confining fish, turtles, etc.:
   a crab crawl.

• Spanish corral corral; compare kraal
• Dutch kraal
• 1650–60

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

crawl / krɔːl/ verb (intransitive)

1. to move slowly, either by dragging the body along the ground or on the hands and knees
2. to proceed or move along very slowly or laboriously: the traffic crawled along the road
3. to act or behave in a servile manner; fawn; cringe
4. to be or feel as if overrun by something unpleasant, esp crawling creatures: the pile of refuse crawled with insects
5. (of insects, worms, snakes, etc) to move with the body close to the ground
6. to swim the crawl

noun

1. a slow creeping pace or motion
2. Also called: Australian crawl, front crawl a stroke in which the feet are kicked like paddles while the arms reach forward and pull back through the water

Etymology: 14th Century: probably from Old Norse krafla to creep; compare Swedish kravla, Middle Low German krabbelen to crawl, Old Norse krabbi crab¹

ˈcrawlingly adverb

crawl / krɔːl/ noun

1. an enclosure in shallow, coastal water for fish, lobsters, etc

Etymology: 17th Century: from Dutch kraal kraal