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crook¹

(krk)

1. An implement or tool, such as a bishop's crosier or a shepherd's staff, with a bent or curved part.

2. A part that is curved or bent like a hook.

3. A curve or bend; a turn: a crook in the path.

4. Informal One who makes a living by dishonest methods.

v. crooked, crook·ing, crooks

v.tr.

To make a crook in; bend: crooked an arm around the package.

v.intr.

To bend or curve.

[Middle English crok, from Old Norse krōkr.]

(click for a larger image)

crook1

early 13th-century French enamel and gold-plated copper crook

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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