creeper 
Virginia Creeper (Amftlottis quiHtjutfetia). a, an exp.iiulc'1 
flower ; ft, di,inr,im of flower. 
(From Gray's " Genera of the Plants of the United States.") 
Winders orcrccpert, as ivy, briony, and woodbine. 
The little cottages embowered In crrepert. 
Unlink ynarterlit lire., LXX.XIII. 419. 
4. In ornitli., a term applied to very many birds, 
mostly of small size and with slender bill, 
which creep, climb, or scramble about in trees 
and bushes. Specifically () Any bird of the family 
Crrthiulw, in any sense of the wonl. The common or 
brown creeper is Or/Awt famiiiari*. (b) Some bird of the 
American family Siiti-ii-nli'ilir i.r Mni'ililtidtt : as, the black- 
ami-white crtejter, Mniotilta varia; the pliie-crejwr, Dfn- 
rfrwca fin IK. (c) Some bird of the American family Doc- 
nultr. or Coerttnao!, commonly called hvnty-cretjttrtf. (tl) 
Any bird of the South American family Dendrocolajitiaas 
or Anatjatiitie, conunolily called tree-creewrg. 
5. A specimen of a breed of the domestic fowl 
with legs so short that they walk slowly and 
with difficulty, and do not scratch like common 
fowls. 6. A name of various mechanical de- 
vices and utensils, (a) An iron used to slide along the 
grate in kitchens. I M An instrument of iron with hooks 
or claws for dragging the bottom of a well, river, or har- 
bor, ami briiiuiiiu' up what may be there. (In this sense 
often used in the plural.] (c) An iron bar joining two and- 
irons. I'll A spiral within a revolving cylindrical grain- 
screen, designed to iniprl the grain toward the discharge 
end ; a conveyer or spiral on the inner surface. E. II. 
Kiu'ilit. () III a carding-machine, an endless moving 
apron, or two aprons placed one over the other, by which 
fibers are fed to or from the machine. Also called a crfrp- 
iwj.gheet. (/) A smnll cooking utensil of iron, with short 
Irus. Also called ^ridcr. (*/) pl> Iron frames, containing 
spikes, attached to the feet and legs to assist in climbing 
a tree or a telegraph-pole ; climbers, (h) An iron attached 
to the lioot-heel to prevent slipping upon ice. (0 A low 
stool. [I'rov. Eng.) 
7. A low patten worn by women. Wright. 
[Prov. Eng.] 8. pi. Same as creep, 3. 
The tint unpleasant sensations of chilliness arc the so- 
called arteiKTs running down the spine. 
Sri. Amer., N. 8., LIV. 329. 
0. Same as creepie 1 True creepers, the birds of 
the subfamily Crrthiiiue. Wall-creeper, the plant Ti- 
<-li'"lnnna murarin. 
creep-hole (krep'hol), . 1. A hole into which 
an animal may creep to escape notice or dan- 
ger. Hence 2. A subterfuge; an excuse. 
creepie 1 , creepy 2 (kre'pi), . [E. dial, and Sc., 
appar. dim. from creep. J A low stool ; a cricket. 
Also called creeper, creepie-stool, and creepie- 
chair, and in Scotland sometimes denoting the 
stool of repentance. 
When I mount the crrspif-chair. 
fiimw, The Rantin' Dog, the Daddic o't. 
The three-legged crefpie-xtfmt* . . . were hired out at a 
penny an hour to such market women as came too late to 
find room on the steps. )//-. GnskeU, Sylvia's Lovers, ii. 
creepie'-', creepy 3 (kre'pi), n. A small speckled 
fowl. .s 1 . .s\ llnliliman. [Local, U. S.] 
creeping (kre'piug), n. In submarine work, the 
aei of dragging with creepers or grapnels to 
recover a lost object. 
creeping-disk (kre'ping-disk), H. The sole of 
the foot of a mollusk, as a slug or a snail. 
creeping-jack (kre'ping-jak), H. The stouecrop, 
creeping-jenny (kre'ping-jen'i), n. Money- 
wort or herb-twopence, l.i/xinin/'liiii iiiiiiimiiln- 
rin. 
creepingly (kre'ping-li), adv. By creeping; 
slowlv : with the motion of an insect or a rep- 
tile. ' 
creeping-sailor (kre'piug-sa'lor), . The beef- 
steiik saxifrage, KnjriJ'ruiin xiirini-Htuxii. 
creeping-sheet (kre'ping-shet), n. The feed- 
ing-apron of a carding-machine. E. H. Kn ii/li t. 
See crfrprr. (i (e). 
creeping-sickness (kre'ping-sik'nes), n. The 
gangrenous form of ergotism. See ergotism. 
1343 
creeplet (kre'pi), n. [Dial, form of rn'//<'< . 
reeling on the mod. form of the orig. verb 
//>; w -e i-n/i/ili.\ 1. A creeping animal ; a 
reptile; a serpent. 
Tin iv is one crci-|iinglieafit, "r long rrrrjje (as the name 
Is In IVvnn.-liin ), that hath a rattle at his tail that .l,,i|, 
discover his age. Hortan. 
2. A cripple. 
Thou knowest how lame a crteple the world Is. 
!>""", Anat. of World, v. 238. 
creep-mouse (krep'raous), . Still; quiet. [Col- 
loq.J 
It will not much signify if nobody hears it word you say ; 
yon may be as crefp-mmue as you like, but we must have 
yon to look at. Jan? Attgtrn, Mansfield Park, xv. 
creepy 1 (kre'pi), n. [< creep + -y 1 .] Chilled 
and crawling, as with horror or fear. 
One's whole blood grew curdling and crctpy. 
Bromting, The GloTe. 
creepy-, creepy 3 . See creepie' 1 , creepie 2 . 
creese, iris (kres, kris), n. [Also written create, 
ITIS, rri.--s. /,//,, l.ri*x. ;in<l funnerly r;-/r_-<- ; ' 
Malay /.(/.-, kris, a dagger. Cf. ctich.] A short 
sword or heavy dagger in use among the Malays 
of Java, Sumatra, and the Malay peninsula. 
It is peculiar In having a waved blade, and a handle which 
is rarely in the prolongation of the blade, but forms a more 
or less oblique angle with it. 
Their [the Javans'] Criiurt or Daggers are two foot* long, 
waned Indenture fashion, and poysoned, that few escape. 
I'uf'-ti'i*, Pilgrimage, p. 542. 
By his side he wore a gold-handled frmx, and carried in 
his right hand a lie-nagged lance with its tip sheathed 
the wedding staff. 
U. 0. Forba, Eastern Archipelago, p. 218. 
creesh, creish (kresh), n. [8c.; also written 
crcisch ; (. Gael, creis, grease: see grease.} 
Grease ; tallow. 
creesh. creish (kresh), v. t. [Sc., < creesh, creish, 
n.] To grease. -To creesh one's loof, literally, to 
grease one's palm ; give one a consideration for some bene- 
fit conferred or expected ; bribe one. 
creeshy (kre'shi), o. [Sc., < creesh + -y 1 . Cf. 
Gael, creisgidli, greasy.] Greasy. 
Kilmarnock walnters, fldge and claw, 
An* pour your creejtkie nations. . . . 
Swith to the Laigh Kirk ane an' a'. 
Burnt, Hi'' Ordination. 
crefisht, . An obsolete form of crawfish. 
creirgist, H. [W., < crair, a relic (cf. creirfa, a 
place for relics, a reliquary, a museum), + cut, 
a chest: see cist 2 .] A reliquary: used with 
reference to reliquaries which exist in Wales 
and the west of England. 
creish, . and v. See creesh. 
creke 1 t, An obsolete form of erect 1 . 
creke' J t, " An obsolete form of creak 1 . 
cremaillere (kre-mal-yar'), . [< F. crenutil- 
lere (> 8p. gramallera), pot-hook, rack, iron 
plate with holes, < OF. cremcille, < ML. crama- 
culus, a pot-hook, dim. of Teut. (D.) Icram, a 
hook, cramp-iron : see cramp 1 .] In field-fortifi- 
cation, the inside line of the parapet, so traced 
as to resemble the teeth of a saw, in order to 
afford the advantage of bringing a heavier fire 
to bear upon the defile than if only a simple 
face were opposed to it. 
cremaster (kro-mas'ter), n. and a. [NL., < Gr. 
apt [taaTtip, a suspender, one ot the muscles by 
which the testicles are suspended, < Kj>e/iavvvva<, 
a/H/tnv (= Goth, hramjini), suspend, hang.] I. 
n. 1. The muscle of the spermatic cord; the 
suspensory muscle of the testicle, consisting of 
a series of fibers derived from the internal ob- 
lique muscle of the abdomen, and let down in 
loops upon the cord. 2. In cntom., a name 
given by Kirby to little hook-like processes on 
the posterior extremity of many lepidopterous 
pupa?, by which they suspend themselves during 
pupation ; hence, the tip of the abdomen of the 
pupa of any insect which undergoes complete 
metamorphosis, serving for the attachment of 
the pupa. It Is the homoloffue of the anal plate of the 
larva, and Its form is foreshadowed in that of the anal 
plate. 
3t. A hook for hanging a pot or other vessel 
over a fire. 
II. a. Suspensory; pertaining to the cre- 
master: as, the cremaster muscle. 
cremasteric (krem-as-ter'ik), a. [< cremaster 
+ -w 1 .] In limit., pertaining to the cremaster: 
as, a cri-HMxtrrir artery; cremanteric fibers. 
cremate (kre'mat), r. (. ; pret. and pp. cremated, 
pr. cremating. [< L. crematux, pp. of cremare, 
urn, used particularly of burning the dead; 
perhaps akin to carlio, coal (see carbon), Skt. 
V/ cri, roast, boil.] To burn up or destroy by 
heat; specifically, to consume (a dead body) 
by intense heat, as a substitute for burial. 
pp 
bu 
cremor 
cremation (kre-nm'Hlion), . [< L. rrematio(n-). 
< err man; pp. rrrmiilux, burn: see cremate.} 
The act or custom of cremating; a burning, as 
oftheilead; incineration; incremation. Tin-bum 
in 1 ..' uf tin- dead ua.i rniiiini'ii in Hiiti(|iiit>, tin- rr]i- l 
ing inipi-rfi-tll) i- 'd mi H funeral pin .m.l 1 1,, ashes 
am! I '- :i!t'! \\ai-l ]il;i- <-'\ IN all ill n. (-1 . > in, rttr<t I/ Mi, 
tniiliT rmerarjr.) The revival of the practice in a mure 
tlii lent manner has lieen advocated in rreenl tim> 
sanitary reasons, and to some extent t-iin tr.i. \ 
methods of rri-iiiatiiin have IH-I-N jnn|.it,si-il, the great dihl- 
culty being to consume the body wlthmii \ IIIHL- tin 
rs,-a|K- of noxious exhalations, and without dctlling the 
ahe with foreign sulmtances. In W. Siemens's apiiaratus 
(a modim-atiim of the plan of Sir llt-nry I h>.iii|.-..n) tin 
body Is exposed to the combined action of highly heated 
air ami ruinliiixtible Esses, so as to lie entirely consumed 
without foreign admixture, while the furnace Is so con- 
structed that no noxious effluvium escaj>es from it. 
The Mexicans practiced crettuitwn ; and when men killed 
in battle were missing, they made figures of them, and 
after honouring these, burnt them and buried the ashes. 
//. SiH-ncer, Prln. of Sociol., | 156. 
cremationist (kre-ma'shon-ist), n. [< crema- 
tion + -(/.] One who advocates or upholds 
the practice of cremation of the bodies of the 
dead as a substitute for burial. 
cremator (kre-ma'tor), n. [< LL. cremtitor, a 
burner, consumer by fire, < L. cremare, pp. cre- 
matun, burn: see cremate, and cf. crematorium.] 
A furnace for consuming dead bodies or refuse 
matter ; a crematory. 
A company proposes to erect two eremalon, at an ex- 
pense of ten thousand dollars, for this purpose | the disposal 
of garbage), claiming that the running ex|>enses will not 
exceed (15.50 per diem. ticirncr, IX. 309. 
crematorium (kre-ma-to'ri-um), n. ; pi. crema- 
toria (-a). [< NL. crematorium : see crematory.] 
A crematory. 
crematory (kre'ma-to-ri), n. and n. [< NL. 
'crematorium (neut.' crematorium, n.), < L. cre- 
mare, pp. crematus, burn: see cremate.] I. a. 
Serving to burn or consume by fire ; connected 
with or employed in cremation : as, a crematory 
furnace. 
II. n. ; pi. crematories (-riz). An establish- 
ment for burning the bodies of the dead, in- 
cluding the furnace and its adjuncts. 
crembalum (krem'ba-luin), n. ; pi. erembala 
(-la). [NL., < Gr. Kpe/ijlal.ov, a rattling instru- 
ment to beat time with in dancing, like a cas- 
tani-t . ] An old name for the Jew's-harp. 
Oremnitz white. See ichitc. 
cremocarp (krem'o-karp), . [< Gr. ipnunviiwu, 
Kpe/tav(aee cremantcr), hang, + na/mof, fruit.] A 
fruit, as that of 
the Umbellifera;, 
consisting of 
two or more in- 
dehiacent, infe- 
rior, one-seeded 
carpels, separat- 
ing at maturity 
from each other 
and from the 
slender axis. Al- 
so called mi /ni- 
iii IIHIH. 
Cremona 1 (kre-mo'nii), B. [For Cremona riolin : 
see def . ] Any violin made at Cremona, Italy, 
by the Amati family, in the latter part of the 
sixteenth and in the seventeenth century, and 
by Stradivarius at the beginning of the eigh- 
teenth century. These instruments are considered to 
excel all others, and are highly prized. The name U often 
improperly applied in any old Italian violin. 
Cremona 2 (kre-mo'nii), M. [Corruption (in imi- 
tation of Cremona 1 ) of cromorna, F. cromorne, 
itself a corruption of G. krummhom : see krumm- 
horn.] Same as cromorna. 
Cremonese (kre-mo-nes' or -nez'), a. and H. [< 
It. Cremonese, < Cremona.'] I. a. Of or pertain- 
ing to Cremona, a city of northern Italy for- 
merly famous for its violins. See Cremona 1 . 
The term "a Cremona," or "a Crfnwnf*? violin," is of- 
ten incorrectly used for an old Italian Instrument of any 
make. (irate. Diet. Music, I. 416. 
H. n. sing, and pi. A native or natives of 
Cremona. 
At the beginning of the thirteenth century the Mantuans 
had repulsed the Crtmottftf. 
C. C. Perkint, Italian Sculpture, Int., p. xxvii. 
Cremonian (kre-mo'ni-an), a. Pertaining to the 
Italian geometer Luigi Cremona. Cremonian 
congruency. See coHgrutney. Cremonian corre- 
spondence, a one-to-one correspondence of the pi >u<t- 
In two planes, such that to every straight line in either 
plane there corresponds a conic in the other. There are 
three Cremonian Jori in each plane, where all the conies 
in that plane corresponding to right lines in the other in- 
tersect. 
cremort (kre'mfir), n. [L. cremor, thick juice 
or broth, ML. cream, etc. : see cream 1 .] Thick 
Crcmocarp. 
fruit of t ritkttiuiH nutrtfirnnni t. 
the I 
