Crawl: meaning, definitions and examples

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crawl

[ krɔːl ]

^{Context #1}

on the ground

To move on your hands and knees. It is a slow and low way of moving, often done by babies and young children as they learn to walk.

Synonyms

creep, scoot, slink

Examples of usage

He started to crawl towards the door.
The baby crawled across the room to reach his toy.

^{Context #2}

internet

To systematically visit websites in order to collect data. Often done by search engines to index web pages.

Synonyms

index, scan, spider

Examples of usage

The search engine crawls the internet to find new content.
The web crawler indexes web pages for search results.

^{Context #3}

animals

A slow, creeping movement or action. Often used to describe the way certain animals move.

Synonyms

creep, glide, slither

Examples of usage

The snake moved with a sinuous crawl.
The caterpillar made a slow crawl along the branch.

Translations

Translations of the word "crawl" in other languages:

🇵🇹 rastejar

engatinhar
arrastar-se

🇮🇳 रेंगना

🇩🇪 kriechen

krabbeln
schleichen

🇮🇩 merangkak

🇺🇦 повзти

лазити
переповзати

🇵🇱 pełzać

🇯🇵 這う (hau)

這い回る (haimawaru)
這いずる (haizuru)

🇫🇷 ramper

🇪🇸 arrastrarse

🇹🇷 sürünmek

🇰🇷 기다

🇸🇦 يزحف

🇨🇿 plazit se

🇸🇰 plaziť sa

🇨🇳 爬 (pá)

🇸🇮 plaziti se

🇮🇸 skríða

🇰🇿 жорғалау

🇬🇪 ხოხვა

🇦🇿 sürünmək

🇲🇽 arrastrarse

Word origin

The word 'crawl' originated from the Middle English 'crawlen', which meant 'to creep'. It has been used since the 14th century to describe slow, creeping movements. Over time, the word has evolved to have multiple meanings, including the physical act of moving on hands and knees, as well as the digital act of systematically visiting websites. The word 'crawl' reflects the gradual and deliberate nature of movement.