crowd 
4. To fill to excess; occupy or pack with an 
unusual or inordinate number or quantity: a-. 
the audience rrmrdfd the theater; to crowd & 
ship's hold. 
The balconies ami verandas we're crim-il"! with specta- 
tore. /' " 
'I In eircular l.eelnve house into which I was shown was 
instantaneously ri-iimlnl almost In snll.H'ution. 
O'ltiiii'i'K", \l-rv, xvi. 
5. To throng about ; press upon ; press as by 
a mullil.inlc : as. < weru most uncomfortably 
fi-ninltll. 
Here (lie i'alaees and Convents have eat up the Peoples 
l>u> Mm ^ .in.l ri;,iiilitl them excessively together. 
l.ittrr. Journey to Paris, p. 7. 
6. To encumber or annoy by multitudes or ex- 
cess of numbers. 
\\liy will \ain courtiers toil 
An.l i-i-uifil a vainer monareh for a smile V 
Graneille. 
I wonlit rather sit on a pumpkin anl have it all to my- 
self, than be crotcded on a velvet eu.shion. 
riioffun, Walden, p. 41. 
7. To urge ; press by solicitation ; importune ; 
annoy by urging : as, to crowd a debtor for im- 
mediate payment. [Colloq.] TO crowd out, to 
press or drive out. 
According as it [the sea) ean make its way into all those 
sublet ranean eavilies, ami i-i-n/i'it tin- air*"'/ of them. 
T. nuriifl. Theory of the Earth. 
To crowd sail, to make an extraordinary spread of sail, 
with a view to accelerate the speed of a ship, as in chas- 
ing or escaping from an enemy ; earry a press of sail. 
II. iHtraiw. 1. To press in numbers; come 
together closely ; swarm : as, the multitude 
crowded through the gate or into the room. 
The whole company crnmlrd about the flre. .I././/--..,... 
In his fierce heart, thought crowded upon thought. 
Wittiam Mom'*, Earthly Paradise, II. 204. 
2. To press forward ; increase speed; advance 
pushingly, as against obstacles: as, to crowd 
into a full room, or into company. 
That schup higan to crude, 
The wind him bleu hide, 
Kithinne dales flue 
That schnp flan artue. 
Kiay Hum (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 1293. 
crowd 1 (kroud), . [< crowd 1 , v. ; cf. AS. 
nouns croda, gecrod, a throng, used in comp. : 
see crowd 1 , v.] 1. A collection; a multitude; 
a large number of things collected or grouped 
together; a number of things lying near one 
another. 
A ci~omt of hopes, 
That sought to sow themselves like winged seeds 
Born out of everything 1 heard and saw, 
Ftutter'd about my senses and my soul. 
Tennyson, Uardener's Daughter. 
The highest historical value of the l>ook [of the gospels! 
consists in the cromls of signatures scattered through its 
margin. E. A. Freeman, Venice, p. 38. 
2. A large number of persons congregated to- 
gether, or gathered into a close body without 
order; a throng. 
Far from the madding rnnrd's ignoble strife, 
Their sober wishes never learnt to stray. 
Gray, Elegy. 
Croml* that stream from yawning floors. 
7Va/i.v*('/i, In Memorial!), Ixx. 
3. Any group or company of persons: as, a 
jolly crowd. [Colloq.] 4. People in general ; 
the populace ; the mass ; the mob. 
The cruH'it turned away in disgust from words which 
presented no image t<> th. it- minds. Macaulay. 
St. Same as erode. =Syn. 1 and 2. Throng, etc. (see 
uHitl/tinti'), host, swarm, com-ourse, shoal. 
crowd 2 (kroud), H. [Also spelled croud and 
croirln (and sometimes, as W., crwth}, < ME. 
crowd*, crouds, also 
erouthe, eroWi,< W. crwth, 
a crowd, violin, fiddle, = 
Gael, cruit, a violin, harp, 
cymbal, = Olr. crot, > 
ML. chrotta, a crowd : 
prob. so called from its 
rounded or protuberant 
form, being ult. identical 
with W. crwth, a hump, 
bulge, belly, trunk, eroth, 
womb, calf of the leg.] 
An ancient Welsh and 
Irish musical instrument, 
the earliest known speci- 
men of the viol class that 
is, of stringed instruments 
played with a bow. It had 
a shallow rectangular lio.l> 
with two circular sound-holes, 
through one of which passed 
one foot of the bridge. The 
I i-nitn VK,llet.|e-l> u ,.'s DILI, strings err perhaps only three 
du Mohilier fr.ui v us." i at first, but in later times were 
1369 
six. of which two were played lutewise. by pinching or 
twitching. 'Hi*' tuning of the strings is disputed, but the 
eon i pa-- i,f tlir instrniiient was probably from two t" thiee 
octaves upward from about tenor i 
The pipe, the tat,r, and the tn-inbling Croud. 
>/""", Epithalamii in. 
A lacimey that runs on errands for him and can . . . war- 
lile ll|H>>i u ,-,dii 't a little. U. Jmuxit. Cynthia's Revels, i. 1. 
crowd'-'t (kruiid), r. i. [< cfiiiiil-, n.] To play 
on a crowd or fiddle. 
Kiddlen, erotni mi..',,,,,,; .1 ; let no man lay a block In 
your way. 
HoMMm, Mastinger, and Jlowlfy, Old Law, v. 1. 
crowdedly (krou'ded-li), adv. In a crowded 
manner or situation ; in a crowd or multitude; 
closely together. 
The only Injury they [lichens) can inflict upon them 
(trees) is by slightly interfering with the functions of res- 
piration, or, when growing very rroialetilit upon the 
branches of orchard trees, by cheeking the development 
of buds. Kneyc. Brit., XIV. 580. 
crowdert (krou'dtr), n. [< ME. crowdere ; < 
CTT>IP + -er 1 .] A player on the crowd; a fid- 
dler. 
Yet is it sung but by some bllnde Crmidrr, with no 
rougher voyce then rude stile. 
Sir I'. Sidney, Apol. for Poetrie. 
crowdie, crowdy (krou'di), n. [8c., possibly 
connected with ijrout, coarse meal.] 1. Meal 
and cold water, or sometimes milk, stirred to- 
gether so as to form a thick gruel ; hence, any 
porridge. 
My sister Kate cam' o'er the hill, 
W i' crowdie unto me. 
Battle u/ SHeri/.M tlir (Child's Ballads, VII. 261). 
2. Curds from which the whey has been pressed 
out, mixed with butter. 
crowdie-time (krou'di-tim), . Breakfast-time. 
[Scotch.] 
Then I gaed hame at i-rntrdie-time, 
And soon I made me ready. 
({noted in Jamiemn. 
crowdy, . See crowrlif. 
crowfeet, . Plural of crowfoot. 
crow-flight (kro'flit), M. 1. A flight of crows. 
2. A direct journey or course ; a bee-line. 
We elan ii >e iv. 1 over the hills and spurs in the usual crow- 
flight of the Karens. Scirnrt, VI. 108. 
crow-flower (kro'flou'er), n. In bot. : (a) The 
ragged-robin, Lynchnis Flos-cuculi. (6) The 
buttercup or crowfoot. 
There with fantastic garlands did she come. 
Of crotc-Jtowrrs, nettles, daisies, and long purples. 
Shale., Hamlet, iv. 7. 
crowfoot (kro'fut), n. ; pi. crowfeet (-fet). 1. 
.\iint. : (a) A device consisting of small lines 
rove through a block of wood, fastened to the 
backbone of an awning, to keep it from sagging 
71 -Jzl -3. A 
Awning Furled and Suspended by Crowfoot. 
in the middle. A similar arrangement was 
formerly used to keep the foot-ropes of top- 
sails from chafing against the top-rim. (6) In 
a ship-of-war, an iron stand fixed at one end 
to a table and hooked at the other to a beam 
above, on which the mess-kids, etc., are hung. 
2. In hot., the name of the common species 
of Kanunculus or buttercup, having divided 
leaves and bright-yellow flowers. See Ranun- 
CIllllX. 
All the valley, mother, 'ill be fresh and green and still, 
And the cowslip and the crowfoot are over all the hill. 
'!', in/limn, May Queen, i. 
3. A caltrop Crowfoot-halyard. See halyard. 
crow-keepert (kro'ke'per), w. 1. A person em- 
ployed to keep crows from alighting on a field. 
That fellow handles his liow like a crow-keeper. 
Shak., Lear, Iv. 8. 
Practise thy quiver, and turn croickeeper. 
Drayimi. To cupid. 
2. A stuffed figure set up as a scarecrow. 
Scaring the ladles like a crrnc-tttptr. 
Shot., K. and .1., i. 4. 
crowl (krotil), r. i. [Cf. groicl.] To rumble or 
make a noise in tlir stomach, 
crowling (krou'ling), n. [Verbal n. of cr<nrl, 
i'.] Humbling; burboryginus. DitiHjIison. 
Crown (kronn), n. and a. [< () MK. raicm, 
rriium , I'arlii'st form mini = MD. krum; krinii. 
England. 
crown 
D. kruin, kronn = OKri<^. /.;< = M l.i i. krone, 
krune, Hi. krone = M ll< >. I / . l.ni. i :. krone 
(butOHii. fiiriinii, i-iiriiiii-) = li-t-1. l.i nun, krona 
= Norw. leruHa = OHw. kruini. krntm, S . /. mini 
= Dan. krone; (6) later ME. in full form, co- 
roicn, CHfuuii, riirnuni-, i-iiiniii, < OF. corone, 
commit, riiriiiii, curiim, K. I-OHI-IHIHI- I'r. 
Sp. It. corona = Pg. coroa, a crown ; all < L. 
corona, a garland, wreath, crown, = t!r. 
the curved end of a bow; cf. ' 
cui^'ed, bent, = Gael, cruinit = \V. <;. round, 
circular, Gael. cruw, a boss. 8eecr". Ili-m-i- 
(from Ij.) rontniil, iininul, mriillii, etc.] I. . 
1 . An ornament for the head ; originally, among 
the uneiciits, a wreath or garland; hence, any 
wreat Ii or garland worn on the head ; a coronal. 
Crowns, made at first of grass, flowers, twins of lam. I. 
oak, olive, etc., but later of gold, were awarded in aneietit 
Kome to the victor* 111 the public games, and to citizens 
who had done the state some distinguished service. See 
corona, _'. 
You nymphs call'd Naiads, of the wlndering brook*, 
With your sedg'd rroiriu. Shalr., Tempest, Iv. 1. 
Last May we made a crotfn of flowers. 
TennyKin, May Queen, II. 
2. An ornament or covering for the head worn 
as a symbol of sovereignty, crown* were of very 
varied forms till heralds devised a regular series to mark 
the grades of rank, from the Imperial crown to the baron's 
coronet. (See coronet^ , 2. ) The crown of England is a gold 
circle, adorned with pearl* and pre- 
cious stones, from which rise alter- 
nately four Maltese crosses and four 
fleurs-de-lis. Krom the tops of the 
crosses spring imperial arches, clos- 
ing under a mound and cross. Within 
the crown Is a crimson velvet cap 
with an ermine Ixmler. The crown 
of Charlemagne, which is preserved 
in the imperial treasury of Vienna, 
is composed of eight plates of gold, 
four large and four small, connected 
by hinges. Tile large plates are stud- 
ded with precious stones, the front 
one lieing surmounted with across; 
the smaller one*, placed alternately 
with these, are ornamented with enamels representing 
Solomon, David, Hezekiah, and Isaiah, and Christ seated 
between two flaming seraphim. The Austrian crown is 
a sort of cleft tiara, having in the middle a semicircle of 
gold supporting a 
mound and cross ; 
the tiara rests on 
a circle with pen 
dants like those 
of a miter. The 
Russian crown is 
a modified form 
of the same im- 
perial crown. The 
royal crown of 
France is a circle 
ornamented with 
eight fleurs-de- 
lis, from which 
rise as many quar- 
ter-circles closing 
under a double 
fleur-de-lis. The 
triple crown of 
the pop,., is more 
commonly called 
the tiara. (See 
diaiiem.) In her- 
aldry the crown is used as a bearing in many forms. When 
a coronet or open crown is used to alter or differentiate 
a hearing, whether on the escutcheon or as a crest or sup- 
porter, it Is not blazoned by it self . but the bearing is said to 
be crotrnt ; when it is placed around the neck of an ani- 
mal, the animal is said to be gorged. 
3e come to joure kyngdom erse 3oure-self knewe, 
Crouned with a frounc that kyng vnder heuene 
Mi^te not a better haue bougie, as I trowe. 
Richartl the Krdelnu. i. 38. 
3. Figuratively, regal power; royalty; kingly 
government. 
Thou wert born aa near a croirn as he. 
FMclu-r (niul another). False One. iv. :t. 
A very solemn oath of allegiance was then taken by 
the lords, who swore ... to do their l>cst to secure the 
.r.ii/-ii to the male line of the king's descendants. 
.SliiWw. Const. Hist., |S53. 
4. The wearer of a crown; the sovereign as 
head of the state. 
From all neighl>our crovtu 
Alliance. 7V/mt/*>ri, (Knoue. 
5. Honorary distinction; reward; guerdon. 
Look down, you gods, 
And on this couple drop a blessed crou-n. 
Shot., Tempest, v. 1. 
Let merit ,-rnwiu, and justice laurels give, 
But let me happy by your pity live. 
Itrinlrn, Epistles. 
6. A crowning honor or distinction; an exalt- 
ing attribute or condition. 
A virtuoiiswomanisaiToini to her husband. Prov. xii.4. 
The crotcn and comfort of my life, your favour. 
Shalt., W. T.. iii. _' 
Where the actors of n.i-el.i. f an- a nation, there and 
amongst them to live well is a cruirn of immortal < in 
nielidation t'ard. Line of Life. 
Imperial Crown (Charlemagne's). 
Austrian Crown. 3. Russian Cruwn. 
French Crown. 
