NOUN 2 a small crease or fold
cripple cripples, crippling, crippled
VERB If someone is crippled by something, they are injured so severely that they can never move properly again.
crippling ADJECTIVE
crisis crises
NOUN a serious or dangerous situation • The food crisis was caused by drought.
crisp crisper, crispest; crisps
ADJECTIVE 1 pleasantly fresh and firm • crisp lettuce leaves
NOUN 2 a thin slice of potato that has been fried until it is hard and crunchy
critic critics
NOUN 1 someone who writes reviews of books, films, plays or musical performances for newspapers or magazines
2 a person who criticizes someone or something publicly
critical
ADJECTIVE 1 A critical time or situation is a very important and serious one when things must be done correctly.
2 If the state of a sick or injured person is critical, they are in danger of dying.
3 Someone who is critical judges people and things very severely.
criticism criticisms
NOUN 1 spoken or written disapproval of someone or something
2 A criticism of a book, film or play is an examination of its good and bad points.
criticize criticizes, criticizing, criticized; also spelt criticise
VERB If you criticize someone or something, you say what you think is wrong with them.
croak croaks, croaking, croaked
VERB 1 When animals and birds croak, they make harsh, low sounds.
NOUN 2 a harsh, low sound
croaky ADJECTIVE
crochet crochets, crocheting, crocheted
Said “kroh-shay” NOUN 1 a kind of knitting done with a hooked needle and cotton or wool
VERB 2 If you crochet, you use a hooked needle and wool or cotton to make lacy material for things such as clothes and shawls.
crockery
NOUN things you use for eating and drinking, such as plates, cups, bowls and saucers
crocodile crocodiles
NOUN a large, scaly, meat-eating reptile that lives in tropical rivers
[from Greek krokodeilos meaning lizard]
crocus crocuses
NOUN Crocuses are yellow, purple or white flowers that grow in early spring.
crook crooks
NOUN 1 a criminal
2 The crook of your arm or leg is the soft, inside part of your elbow or your knee.
3 a long stick with a hooked end used by shepherds
crooked
ADJECTIVE 1 bent or twisted
2 dishonest
crop crops, cropping, cropped
NOUN 1 plants such as wheat and potatoes that are grown for food
2 the plants collected at harvest time • They gather two crops of rice a year.
VERB 3 If you crop something such as your hair, you cut it very short.
cross crosses, crossing, crossed; crosser, crossest
VERB 1 If you cross something, such as a room or a road, you go to the other side of it.
2 Lines or roads that cross meet and go across each other.
3 If you cross your arms, legs or fingers, you put one on top of the other.