Crawl

v. i. [imp. & p. p. CRAWLED; p. pr. & vb. n. CRAWLING.] [Dan. kravle, Icel. krafla, Sw. kräla, L. Ger. krabbeln, D. krabbeln, grabbelen, diminutive of krabben, grappen, Scot. crowl.]

1Sense 1. To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; or to move slowly on the hands and knees or feet, as a human being; to creep.

A worm finds what it searches after only by feeling, as it crawls from one thing to another. Grew.

2Sense 2. To move or advance in a feeble, slow, or awkward manner.

He was hardly able to crawl about the room. Arbuthnot.

3Sense 3. To advance slowly and slyly; to insinuate one's self; to advance or gain influence by servile or obsequious conduct.

Again, there is sprung up A heretic, an arch one, Cranmer; one Hath crawled into the favor of the king. Shak.

Absurd opinions crawl about the world. South.

4Sense 4. To have the sensation as of insects creeping about the body.

n. The act or motion of crawling; slow motion, as of a creeping animal.

n. [Cf. D. kraal, inclosure, park.] A pen or inclosure of stakes and hurdles on the sea-coast, for containing fish.