Middle English Dictionary Entry
crọ̄k n.
Entry Info
| Forms | crọ̄k n. Also crouk & (N) cruk, croik. |
| Etymology | OE *crōk, cp. crōcod ppl.; & ON, cp. OI krōkr. |
Definitions (Senses and Subsenses)
1.
(a) Any tool, implement, or utensil consisting of, or having as an important part, a curved piece of metal or hook, such as a grappling iron, a pot hook, a reaping hook or sickle, ?a hoe, ?a fork, a fish hook, a torture instrument; (b) a metal hook as part of an implement; also fig.; (c) a hinge (of a door), or the hook on which it turns; dore ~.
Associated quotations
a
- a1200 Gloss.Sidonius (Dgb 172)33/12 : Unco: Croc'.
- c1300 SLeg.Kath.(LdMisc 108)241 : And hire bresten fram hire bodi with Irene crokes rende.
- c1300 SLeg.Patr.(LdMisc 108)265 : Some hengen bi stronge crokus I-pulte þoruȝ eiþur Eyȝe.
- c1380 Firumb.(1) (Ashm 33)2406 : Wan he cam to þe castel wal..Wyþ a laddre of lethere & crokes smal sone had he þe heȝþe.
- c1390 Serm.GEd.(Vrn)46 : Þe ffisch..wrieþ on þe Crok; Þe ffisch is bewyled þorw þe worm.
- c1400(?c1380) Pearl (Nero A.10)40 : In Augoste..Quen corne is coruen wyth crokez kene.
- c1400(?a1387) PPl.C (Hnt HM 137)21.296 : With crokes and with kalketrappes a-cloye we hem echone!
- c1400 St.Anne(1) (Min-U Z.822.N.81)2644 : All þat myght croke or sekell bere Went, þat corne to repe & schere.
- (1404) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100396 : In custodia Carpentarii..l croke pro le gryndistan.
- (1404) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.100397 : In custodia Plumbarii..l cruk de ferro pro cablys faciendis.
- (1410) Will York in Sur.Soc.4549 : Coquina..j fleschecroke.
- a1425(?c1375) NHom.(3) Leg.(Hrl 4196)122/253 : Rapes and crokes þaron þai kast..Bot euer stode þe temple still.
- (1432) Will York in Sur.Soc.3023 : Lego..unum par furcarum pro dependencia ollarum in lez rakkes et cruks.
- (?1440) Palladius (DukeH d.2)1.1161 : Rakis, crokis [gloss.: sarculos].
- (1447-8) Acc.Yatton in Som.RS 488 : Vor makyng of a yryn croke.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)47b : Þey hadde hokus and crokus of yren to drawe tymber and stoon..to drawe adoun houses & walles.
- c1450 Alph.Tales (Add 25719)171/2 : Sho wold take it vpp with poyntels & crukis of gold & putt itt in hur mowthe.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)15383 : Wherfor..berstow that Crook, Dowble-forkyd as a flesshhook?
- 1483 Cath.Angl.(Monson 168)85 : A Cruke: curuata, hamus, vncus.
- a1500(?a1400) Torrent (Chet 8009)1607 : His croke, So fast in to the flesh it toke That oute myȝt he gete it nought.
b
- c1430(c1386) Chaucer LGW (Benson-Robinson)640 : In goth the grapenel, so ful of crokes; Among the ropes renne the sherynge-hokes.
- a1450(1408) *Vegetius(1) (Dc 291)102a : Þe fore ende of þis beem is somtyme I-schod wiþ a grete crook of Iren, to pulle out þe stones of þe walle.
- a1500 Ipotis (StJ-C B.7)151/380 : For Couetyse a whele is dyght..ffull of crokes abouen and vnder..full of soules it is hange.
- a1500 St.Kath.(4) (Cmb Ff.2.38)330 : Whelys..Full of crokys of stele harde.
c
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)18104 : Þat brast þe brasen yates..And stelen croc þat þai wit hang.
- (1432) Grocer Lond.(Kingdon)215/7 : Pur henges, crokys, traffnaylisz.
- (1448-9) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99186 : Rep...j crooke pro porta de le Sartre.
- (1449-50) Acc.R.Dur.in Sur.Soc.99239 : Dorecrokez pro ecclesia predicta.
- ?c1475 *Cath.Angl.(Add 15562)31a : A Cruke of a dore: gumfus.
2.
A staff with a curved top: (a) a shepherd's crook; (b) the pastoral staff or crosier (of a bishop or abbot); (c) a hockey stick; allusively: penis.
Associated quotations
a
- (1440) PParv.(Hrl 221)104 : Croke [vr. crotche] or scheype hoke: Pedum, cambuca.
b
- c1435 Chaucer CT.Fri.(Bod 686)D.1317 : Crook [crit. ed.: er the bisshop caughte hem with his hook].
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)149 : As a crochet it is figured..This crook and this S shewen wel that j am abbesse.
c
- a1325 Prov.Hend.(Cmb Gg 1.1)st.42 : Þe maide þat ȝevit hirsilf alle..And pleiit with þe croke and wiþ þe balle, And mekit gret þat erst was smalle, þe wedding got to sconde.
- a1475(?a1430) Lydg.Pilgr.(Vit C.13)11184 : I shal..Rennyn at the bal Wyth a Staff mad lyk an hook, And I wyl han a kampyng crook.
3.
Theol. A hook or trident (of the devil); the clutches (of the devil).
Associated quotations
- a1250 Ancr.(Nero A.14)77/21 : Beoð of dredde..leste he..biswike ou o sume wise, & awatie uorte worpen up on ou his crokes [vrr. cleches, clokes].
- ?c1225 Ancr.(Cleo C.6:Morton)102 : [Þe cat of helle..drouh al ut]..wið crokede crokes.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)23252 : Þe aghtand pine, it es ful grise..And namli laght vntil þair crok.
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)25060 : Þas oþer þat his lagh forsok, He kest þam in þat feindes croke.
- (1440) *Capgr.St.Norb.(Hnt HM 55)980 : Thus was he voyded fro þe deueles crook.
- c1450 Falm.Squire (Cmb Ff.2.38)p.103 : Fendys bolde, wyth crokys kene, Rente hys body fro lyth to lythe.
- ?a1475 Ludus C.(Vsp D.8)197/135 : Out of þi cursydnes and cruel crook, by godys grace, man xal be redempt.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)300/216 : Yee, hangyd be thou on a cruke.
- a1500 Tutiuillus (Dc 104)11 : He wil ham quell, Wiþ kene crokes draw hem to hell.
4.
(a) A strategem or trick (of the devil); (b) a malevolent, deceptive, deceitful, or seductive act (of a person); a trick or ruse; (c) something that misleads; deception, seduction.
Associated quotations
a
- c1175 Orm.(Jun 1)11635 : Þa wære he þurrh þe deofless croc I gluterrnesse fallenn.
- c1225(?c1200) St.Juliana (Bod 34)29/304 : Wite me wið his crefti crokes, þat ha me ne crechen.
- c1230(?a1200) *Ancr.(Corp-C 402)73b : Þes deofles wiheles..his wihtfule crokes, his wrenchfule wicchecreftes.
- (a1333) Herebert Þou wommon (Add 46919)57 : Þarf me noþing drede, Sathan shal nout spede Wyþ wrenches ne wyþ crok.
- c1390 Talking LGod (Vrn)36/30 : Þreo foos fihten aȝeynes me faste..Þe deuel wiþ his sleihþes And wiþ his queynte crokes [etc.].
- a1400(a1325) Cursor (Vsp A.3)700 : Þe nedder..was euer wittur..Mast he cruth o crafte and crok.
b
- c1225(?c1200) St.Kath.(1) (Einenkel)125 : Ah nes þer nan þet mahte neauer eanes wrenchen hire, mid alle his crefti crokes, ut of þe weie.
- ?a1300 Sayings St.Bern.(Dgb 86)761/120 : Alle þre sulen ben aleid Wiþ here owene crok.
- c1330 St.Kath.(2) (Auch)138 : Þis emperour ful wiley was, & ȝete he couþe anoþer croke.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)5.2872 : So what with hepe and what with crok, Thei make here maister ofte winne And wol noght knowe what is sinne.
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.4892 : That he myhte be som crok..The lustes of his fleissh fulfille.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)4810 : Þe gyoures..wolden haue hym bicauȝth..Ac..Hij weren asshreynt in her crook.
- c1400(?a1300) KAlex.(LdMisc 622)6183 : By her gynnes and by her crokes So swifte vnder þe water hij rideþ So any shippe abouen glideþ.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)173/233 : With sich wylys and crokys.
- a1500(a1460) Towneley Pl.(Hnt HM 1)260/87 : He wold haue turnyd an othere croke, Myght he haue had the rake.
- a1500(a1471) Ashby APP (Cmb Mm.4.42)407 : Haue not ye now nede aboute you to loke, Sith god was deceyvede hy [read: by] wiles croke?
- a1500 The last tyme (Cmb Ff.5.48)p.309 : Ser John caght me with a croke; He made me to swere be bel and boke I shuld not tell.
c
- (a1393) Gower CA (Frf 3)7.2268 : Diogenes..soghte noght the worldes crok For vein honour ne for richesse.
- (c1426) Audelay Poems (Dc 302)145/408 : Here is nowþer wyle ne croke.
- c1450(c1405) Mum & S.(2) (Add 41666)1165 : Til he [be] caste with couetise or sum croke elles.
5.
Misc. uses: (a) a curl; a head of curly hair, locks; (b) ?closing (of the hand); (c) a claw (of a bird); (d) a tendril or shoot (of a plant); a bent branch; (e) ?a twist of rope, a fetter; (f) ?a gibbet, ?a hook; (g) a corner or nook.
Associated quotations
a
- ?c1335 Heil seint Michel (Hrl 913)p.156 : Hail be ȝe prestis wiþ ȝur brode bokes! Þoȝ ȝur crune be ischaue, fair beþ ȝur crokes.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)p.327 : A koeverchef to binde wid his crok.
- c1330 Why werre (Auch)p.329 : Summe bereth croune of acolite for the crumponde crok, And ben ashamed of the merke the bishop hem bitok.
- c1440(?a1400) Morte Arth.(1) (Thrn)3352 : Craftely with a kambe cho kembede myn heuede, That the krispane kroke to my crownne raughte.
b
- a1425 Gloss.Bibbesw.(AS 182)599 : La capinole: crowke.
c
- c1425(c1400) Ld.Troy (LdMisc 595)18438 : Rauen & rokes, Scholde haue to-drawen him with her crokes.
d
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)240a/a : Matiere of crowkis, of burgynge of buddys, of floures, and of fruyte [L materiam germinis, frondis, fructus, atque floris].
- (a1398) *Trev.Barth.(Add 27944)240a/b : Of þe spray of þe vyne spryngeþ smale crokes, and þer by þe spray byclippeþ the trees aboute.
- c1460(a1449) Lydg.Virtue (Hrl 2255)34 : A yong braunch wol soone wexe wrong, Dispoosyd of kynde for to been a crook.
e
- a1450(a1338) Mannyng Chron.Pt.1 (Lamb 131)1816 : Þeir handes ouer bakkes þey caste..Wyþ crokes ilkon oþer gan bynde.
f
- ?a1500 He þat stelys (Roy 18.A.17)2 : He þat stelys this booke shulbe hanged on a crooke.
g
- (1417) Doc.in Sur.Soc.8511 : A cruke of Robert Feriby grund.
- c1450 Pilgr.LM (Cmb Ff.5.30)34 : Ther mihte be gret suspeccion that in sum anglet or in sum heerne or crook or cronere the filthe were heled or heped.
6.
Phrases. (a) in the croke of the mone, while the moon is a crescent, i.e. between new moon and first quarter [an ill-omened phase]; (b) on croke, astray [see acroke].
Associated quotations
a
- ?1435 Lond.Chron.Jul.(Jul B.2)75 : In the croke off the mone went they thedirward, and in the wilde wanynge kom they homward.
- c1450(c1430) Brut-1430 (Glb E.8)427/27 : All the cheueteynys..were taken and led to the Cite of Paris 'in the croke of the mone', they myght sey; for of hem ther scapid thens but a fewe on lyue.
b
- a1425 This blessyd boke (LdMisc 286)38 : Many..that in lywyng went on croke.
7.
Cpds. (a) crok(e-bakked, humpbacked; -hed, the curved head of a pastoral staff; -stithi, an anvil for shaping hooks, etc.; (b) nicknames: crok(e-bain, -bek, -fot, -horn, -shank.
Associated quotations
a
- (1373) Invent.Jarrow in Sur.Soc.2963 : In domo fabri..j crokestithy.
- c1450 Ponthus (Dgb 185)134/14 : Sume were haltyng and sume were croke bakked.
- (1451) Invent.Moleyns in Archaeol.51375 : A croke-heyd with saynte George and ye sarpente.
- (a1460) DSPhilos.(Helm)49/14 : Ypocras was but litil of body, crokebacked, and had a grete hed.
- c1475(1464) Hardyng Chron.B (Hrl 661)p.291 : He..In batell dide as welle as any knyght; It is not true that croukebacked shuld he hight.
b
- (1190) in Pipe R.Soc.n.s.171 : Archil Crocfot.
- (1246-7) Assize R.Lan.in LCRS 47102 : John Crocbayn.
- (1269) Fine R.Tower 2491 : Robertus Crochorn'.
- (1301) Sub.R.Yks.in YASRS 2181 : Alano Crocbayne.
- (1310) Pat.R.Edw.II288 : William Crokesanke.
- (1332) Sub.R.Sus.in Sus.RS 10263 : Thom. Crookbeak.
- ?c1382 Survey Hatfield in Sur.Soc.32113 : Willelmus Crokefote.
Supplemental Materials (draft)
- (1278) in Salzman Building in Engl.195 : [For building a bakehouse…two great twisted beams called] crokkes [25 feet in length].
Note: ?New sense.
Note: Probably belongs as a new subsense under sense 5.
Note: Gloss: one of a pair of curved timbers forming the frame of a house.
Note: See Louis F. Salzman, Building in England (p. 195) where he indicates that this refers to "a pair of crucks" a "'cruck-built' house".--notes per MLL
- (1299-1300) Wardrobe Acc.Edw.I in PSAL (1787)p.58 : Thome de Cotynge et Thome le Convers, vallettis camere Regis, pro crokis, clavis ferreis.
Note: Additional quot. for sense 1.(c).--per MLL
- a1400(c1303) Mannyng HS (Hrl 1701)2527 : He broght on þat brynnyng croke A brennyng soule þat al to-shoke.
Note: Additional quot.
Note: Belongs to sense 3.--per MLL
- (1150) EPNSoc.17 (Not.)286 : Hahecroc.
- (c1155) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)183 : Crogline.
- (1195) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)183 : Crogelin.
- (1201) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)183 : Crolin.
- (1242) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.57 : Krakruke.
- (1244) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.58 : Crucun.
- (1277) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)334 : Krocwere.
- (1287) EPNSoc.19 (Cmb.)334 : Le Croke.
- (1323) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.58 : le Croukes.
- (1330) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)183 : Kirkrogelyne.
- (1340) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.58 : Crukum.
- (1361) EPNSoc.42 (Wm.)177 : Cruke.
- (1368) EPNSoc.20 (Cum.)183 : Birketrogeline.
- (1420) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.52 : Copicroche.
- (1479) in Mawer PNNhb.& Dur.58 : Le Crowkes.
Note: Note new forms in these place-names in revised form section below (which needs reviewing).
Note: New sense (8.) for names needs to be added with subsenses (a)--in surnames--and (b)--in place names. Move the quots. in existing sense 7.(b) to sense 8.(a).--notes per MLL
Note: The list of variant spellings in the form section may be incomplete and / or may need revision to accord with standards of later volumes of the MED. (Note that the form croik there does not occur in any of the quots.) Revised form section: Also croke, croc, crouk(e, cruk(e & (in place names) kroc-, -kroge-, -croche, crog(e-, cro-, -kruke, cruc-; pl. crokes, etc. & crokkes.--per MLL
Supplemental Materials (draft)
Note: Med., etc., see further J.Norri, Dictionary of Medical Vocabulary, s.v. crook.