crick

IPA/krɪk/
KK[krˈɪk]IPA/krɪk/

crick — noun

  • cricksingular
  • cricksplural

1. a condition in which muscles around the neck, shoulders, or spine suddenly becom

1.nounB2
Definition

a condition in which muscles around the neck, shoulders, or spine suddenly become painfully tight and limit how freely you can move

Example

After sleeping on a narrow sofa, Ana woke with a painful crick in her neck.

collocation: a crick in + body part

The old gardener bent too quickly and felt a sharp crick in his lower back.

countable noun with adjective: sharp crick

Common collocations
  • a crick in the neck
  • a crick in the back
  • a painful crick
  • a sharp crick
  • have a crick
  • get a crick
  • ease a crick
  • avoid a crick
Synonyms
  • spasm

    more clinical; a sudden involuntary muscle contraction

  • stiffness

    less specific; can describe any muscle or joint that is hard to move

  • cramp

    a prolonged painful contraction, often in the leg; not specific to neck or back

Grammar Patterns

a crick in + body part

Usage Note

British English speakers sometimes use rick or wrick (as a noun or verb) instead of crick, especially for the neck.

Common Mistakes

I got a creek in my neck.
I got a crick in my neck.
Creek is a small stream, not a muscle condition.

2. a regional pronunciation of the word creek, heard in many rural communities acro

2.nounC1
Definition

a regional pronunciation of the word creek, heard in many rural communities across America, referring to a narrow stream or very small river

Example

The children spent the afternoon catching frogs in the crick behind their uncle's farm.

regional American usage: crick = small stream

A narrow wooden bridge crossed the crick near the old grain mill.

Common collocations
  • behind the crick
  • cross the crick
  • fish in the crick
Synonyms
  • creek

    the standard spelling and pronunciation

  • stream

    a more general term for a small flow of water

  • brook

    a very small stream, often in literary use

Usage Note

This pronunciation variant is mainly heard in spoken, informal American English in rural areas of the Midwest and Appalachian regions. It is rarely used in formal writing.

crick — verb

Word family

  • rick
    nounC1
  • wrick
    verbC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe an uncomfortable muscle sensation, but they differ in duration, cause, and location. A crick is sudden and localized to the neck or back, often caused by an awkward sleeping position or quick movement. A spasm is more general and clinical — it can happen in any muscle and involves involuntary contracting and relaxing. Stiffness is the broadest term; it can describe any muscle or joint that feels tight and hard to move, not necessarily painful. A cramp is a prolonged, sharp contraction, typically in the legs or feet, and often wakes a person at night. A knot refers to a tight, tender spot within a muscle that stays sore for hours or days. For example: after a bad night's sleep you might have a crick in your neck, but after running you might get a cramp in your calf, and after sitting at a desk all day you might feel stiffness in your shoulders.

spasm ↗stiffness ↗cramp ↗knot ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • a crick in the neck
  • a crick in the back
  • have a crick
  • get a crick
  • ease a crick
  • crick one's neck

Prepositions

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

The word crick, meaning a muscle spasm in the neck or back, first appeared in English in the early 1400s. Its origin is uncertain, but it may come from an older Scandinavian word related to the idea of bending or twisting. The variant spellings rick and wrick, used mainly in British English, appeared later around the 1700s. The sense meaning 'a small stream' developed as a dialectal pronunciation of creek in American English, first recorded in the 1800s.

First known use

15th century

15th century, in the meaning defined above Verb