craw

Estimated CEFR level: C2 — Proficiency

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a pouch in many birds and some lower animals that resembles a stomach for storage and preliminary maceration of food

Etymology

Late Middle English, also attested as craue, from or related to Middle Dutch crāghe or Middle Low German crāghe (“collar, neck”), from Proto-Germanic *kragô (“throat”), probably from Proto-Indo-European *gʷrogʰ- or *gʷrh₃-gʰ- (“throat, gullet”), whence also Proto-Celtic *brāgants (“throat, gullet”) and perhaps Ancient Greek βρόχθος (brókhthos, “throat”). The root appears to be an extension of Proto-Indo-European *gʷerh₃- (“to swallow, devour”), though the identity and meaning of the suffix is unclear. Compare Latin gurges (“gulf, bay; whirlpool, eddy”). Other Germanic cognates include Danish krave, German Kragen (“collar”) and Old Dutch kraga (“neck”) (whence modern Dutch kraag). See also crag (Etymology 2).

In classic literature

Synonyms

crop

A single word — an entire dictionary opens.

Type a word, a sentence, a book title, or a link to an English article. WordNet and the Classics answer.

Try

A library of classics · a vault of words · instant etymology & meaning

Continue reading