crook

noun

1. 1

   A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure.

   She held the baby in the crook of her arm.

   he walks bye lanes, and crooks

2. 2

   A bending of the knee; a genuflection.

3. 3

   A bent or curved part; a curving piece or portion (of anything).

   the crook of a cane

   It was flood-tide along Fifth Avenue; motor, brougham, and victoria swept by on the glittering current; pretty women glanced out from limousine and tonneau; young men of his own type, silk-hatted, frock-coated, the crooks of their walking sticks tucked up under their left arms, passed on the Park side.

4. 4

   A person who steals, lies, cheats, or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal; a scoundrel, scofflaw, lawbreaker, rogue, or miscreant.

   In these early days of silent pictures, the accent was chiefly on thrills and danger as provided by supposedly unstoppable locomotives with crooks or maniacs on the footplate.

   1973 November 17, Richard Nixon, reported 1973 November 18, The Washington Post, Nixon Tells Editors, ‘I'm Not a Crook’, "People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I′m not a crook. I′ve earned everything I′ve got."

5. 5

   obsoleteA lock or curl of hair.

6. 6

   obsoleteA support beam consisting of a post with a cross-beam resting upon it; a bracket or truss consisting of a vertical piece, a horizontal piece, and a strut.

7. 7

   A specialized staff with a semi-circular bend (a "hook") at one end used by shepherds to control their herds.

   Even though I walk through a / valley dark as death / I fear no evil, for thou art with me, / thy staff and thy crook are my / comfort.

8. 8

   A bishop's standard staff of office.

9. 9

   An artifice; a trick; a contrivance.

   for all your brags, hooks, and crooks

10. 10

    A pothook.

11. 11

    A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.

verb

1. 1

   To bend, or form into a hook.

   He crooked his finger toward me.

   No, let the candied tongue lick absurd pomp, / And crook the pregnant hinges of the knee / Where thrift may follow fawning.

   For if a damsel's blind or lame, / Or nature's hand has crooked her frame, / Or if she's deaf or is wall-eyed; / Yet if her heart is well inclined, / Some tender lover she shall find / That panteth for a bride.

   “[…]In the following cases: physical defect in the married parties, desertion without communication for five years,” he said, crooking a short finger covered with hair[…].

2. 2

   To become bent or hooked.

3. 3

   To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist.

   For the foundation of youthe well ſet (as Plato doth ſaye) the whole bodye of the common wealthe ſhall flouriſhe thereafter. If the younge tree growe croked, when it is oulde, a man ſhall rather breake it than ſtreight it. And I thincke there is no one thinge that crokes youthe more then ſuch unlawful games.

adjective

1. 1

   slangBad, unsatisfactory, not up to standard.

   That work you did on my car is crook, mate.

   Not turning up for training was pretty crook.

   The soup was crook. It was onkus. A yellow-bellied platypus couldn′t drink it […]

   Things are crook at home at the moment. “They′re always crook at my home.”

2. 2

   slangIll, sick.

   I′m feeling a bit crook.

3. 3

   slangAnnoyed, angry; upset.

   be crook at/about; go crook at

   Ann explained to the teacher what had happened and the nuns went crook at me too.

   I went home on the tram, then Mum went crook at me because I was late getting home—I had tickets for Mum and her friend to go to the Regent that night and she was annoyed because I was late.

   I went crook at them for not telling me and as soon as she was well enough I took her home to the camping area and she soon picked up.

Forms

plural

crooks

comparative

crooker

superlative

crookest

past tense

crooked

past participle

crooked

present participle

crooking

third person singular

crooks