Crawl: meaning, definitions and examples

Crawl is often used to describe a slow movement on hands and knees, commonly associated with babies or someone moving very low to the ground.

• The baby started to crawl across the room
• The soldier had to crawl through the thick mud to avoid being seen

Creep is typically used to describe a slow and secretive movement, often in a way that is meant to avoid detection. It can sometimes have a slightly spooky or unsettling connotation.

• She creeped up the stairs to avoid waking anyone
• The spider creeped along the wall

Scoot is used to describe a quick and small movement, usually in a sitting or crouched position. It's often informal and suggests a short, swift motion.

• Can you scoot over a bit so I can sit down? The dog scooted across the kitchen floor to grab the food

Slink is used to describe a smooth and stealthy movement, often implying a sense of shame or avoidance. It has a slightly negative connotation.

• He tried to slink out of the room without anyone noticing
• The cat slinked away after being scolded

In technology, this term is used to describe the activity of search engine bots moving across websites to collect information for indexing.

• Search engines crawl millions of websites to provide relevant search results.
• Web crawlers navigate the internet, following links and gathering content for search engines.

In the context of technology and data, this refers to the process of organizing data to make it easier to retrieve and search. It can also mean a list of items, such as in a book or database.

• The search engine indexed the new webpages quickly.
• The book has a detailed index to help you find information.
• Database indexing is crucial for optimizing search performance.

Besides the common meaning of an arachnid, in technology, a spider is a bot used by search engines to crawl web pages and collect data. This word can have a negative connotation when referring to malicious software.

• A spider crawls websites to update search engine databases.
• Web spiders are essential for online search functionality.
• Beware of malicious spiders that can gather sensitive information.

This term is used for quickly examining something to get an overview or to check for specific information. It can refer to visual inspection or using technological tools to read and analyze data.

• She scanned the document for any errors.
• The barcode scanner efficiently reads product information.
• The antivirus software scans the system for malware.

Typically used to describe the movement of small children or insects. It can also be used when something moves very slowly.

• The baby started to crawl towards her toy
• The traffic was crawling during rush hour

Often describes movement that is slow and stealthy, usually to avoid detection. It can also have a negative connotation when describing someone who gives an uncomfortable feeling.

• He tried to creep quietly past his parents' bedroom
• That guy is creepy; he keeps staring at me

Refers to the movement of snakes or other creatures that move with a twisting motion. It often has a slightly negative connotation.

• The snake slithered through the grass
• The worm slithered out of the soil

Used to describe smooth and effortless movement, usually through the air or on a surface with little friction.

• The eagle glided gracefully over the mountains
• She glided across the ice rink effortlessly