crude

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: C1 — Advanced

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun a dark oil consisting mainly of hydrocarbons
  2. adjective not carefully or expertly made
  3. adjective conspicuously and tastelessly indecent

Etymology

From Middle English crude, borrowed from Latin crūdus (“raw, bloody, uncooked, undigested, crude”). Doublet of crudo, from Italian. Cognate with Old English hrēaw (“raw, uncooked”) via Proto-Indo-European *krewh₂- (“raw blood”); more at raw.

In classic literature

Synonyms

petroleum, crude oil, rock oil, fossil oil, oil

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