Crawl1, v. i.
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.]
Sense 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.
Sense 2. To move or advance in a feeble, slow, or awkward manner.
He was hardly able to crawl about the room. Arbuthnot.
Sense 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.
Sense 4. To have the sensation as of insects creeping about the body.