crock
/krɒk/ (bre, ipa) · /krɑːk/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkräk/ (ame, mw)
crock — noun
- crocksingular
- crocksplural
1. a thick, heavy container shaped from baked clay, used for storing or cooking foo
a thick, heavy container shaped from baked clay, used for storing or cooking food such as soup, beans, or pickles.
Nkechi spooned warm honey from a large brown crock into a glass jar.
countable noun: 'a crock of [contents]'
On the farmhouse shelf sat a row of clay crocks filled with pickled vegetables.
plural usage: 'clay crocks'
Bao kept his grandmother's old crock of soybean paste in the corner of the kitchen.
Chiara stored homemade kimchi in a heavy brown crock at the back of the fridge.
- jar
more general; any container with a wide mouth, not necessarily clay
- pot
broader term covering metal, plastic, or clay containers
- earthenware
the material rather than the object; uncountable
文法句型
a crock of [food]
用法筆記
Subject is usually a kitchen or storage object; the noun is often paired with 'of' plus a food name (a crock of beans, a crock of honey).
2. an elderly person whose body has grown weak, or a vehicle so worn out that it ba
an elderly person whose body has grown weak, or a vehicle so worn out that it barely works.
Anjali joked that her grandfather was an old crock who still loved climbing mountains.
affectionate self-deprecation about age
Ilan refused to sell the rusty crock parked beside his garage.
applied to a worn-out car
The taxi was a noisy old crock that rattled at every traffic light.
Justin called his ten-year-old van a crock, but he could not afford a new one.
文法句型
an old crock
用法筆記
Almost always preceded by 'old'; informal and slightly humorous, sometimes used by older speakers about themselves.
常見錯誤
3. something silly and untrue that someone says to fool or impress other people.
something silly and untrue that someone says to fool or impress other people.
Isabela laughed and said the whole rumour about the lottery was a crock.
predicative: 'be a crock'
Xiu told the salesman his guarantee sounded like a crock and walked away.
comparative: 'sound like a crock'
The reporter said the politician's apology was a complete crock from start to finish.
Zayd thought his cousin's excuse for missing dinner was a crock.
- truth
the direct opposite; what someone actually believes or knows happened
文法句型
a crock
a crock of [noun]
用法筆記
Usually predicative ('is a crock', 'sound like a crock'); often intensified by 'complete', 'total', or 'load of'. The variant 'a crock of [vulgar word]' is rude and best avoided in formal writing.
常見錯誤
crock — verb
- crockpresent simple I / you / we / they
- crocks3rd person singular
- crocking-ing form
- crockedpast simple
1. to pack food into a clay container so that it keeps for many weeks or months.
to pack food into a clay container so that it keeps for many weeks or months.
Felix learned how to crock cabbage with salt during his winter cooking class.
transitive: crock + [food]
The farmer's wife used to crock eggs in lime water before refrigerators were common.
historical kitchen usage
Christopher decided to crock the surplus tomatoes from his summer garden.
Grandmother showed Élise how to crock pork belly in a stone jar.
文法句型
crock + food noun
用法筆記
Object is usually a food that needs long storage (cabbage, eggs, meat, pickles); the verb is now mostly historical and appears in cookery writing about pre-refrigeration methods.
2. to leave a black or dark mark on something, usually with soot or grease.
to leave a black or dark mark on something, usually with soot or grease.
Eve accidentally crocked the white wall when she leaned against the chimney.
transitive: crock + [surface]
The mechanic warned Devika that the spare tyre would crock her trousers if she touched it.
future/conditional: 'will crock'
Stephanie's gloves crocked the cream sofa after a day cleaning the stove.
Nkechi warned the painters that the wet chimney would crock their white overalls.
- clean
the everyday opposite; to remove the dirt rather than add it
文法句型
crock + object
用法筆記
Object is usually clothing or a pale surface; subject is something sooty, greasy, or dusty. Distinguish from sense 3, which is specifically about dyed fabric losing colour onto something else.
3. (of poorly dyed cloth) to leave dye on skin or other clothing during friction or
(of poorly dyed cloth) to leave dye on skin or other clothing during friction or laundering.
The cheap blue jeans Tamás bought crocked badly onto his pale shoes.
intransitive: subject is the fabric
A dyer can test whether a new fabric will crock by rubbing it with a white cloth.
test construction in textile work
The red sofa crocked onto the children's clothes whenever they sat on it.
Isabela returned the green bath towels after they crocked onto her cream bathmat.
- colourfast
adjective rather than verb; describes fabric that does not crock
文法句型
[fabric] + crock
用法筆記
Subject is the fabric that loses colour, never the surface that receives it. The verb appears mostly in textile or laundry contexts.
常見錯誤
4. to injure a person, or part of their body, so badly that they can no longer move
to injure a person, or part of their body, so badly that they can no longer move or work properly.
Felix crocked his knee playing rugby last winter and missed the rest of the season.
transitive: crock + [body part]
A bad fall on the ice completely crocked Eve's wrist for several months.
intensifier: 'completely crocked'
Anjali was crocked by a tackle in the second half of the match.
Justin warned the new player not to crock himself by lifting too heavy a weight.
- heal
the recovery opposite; what the body does after being crocked
文法句型
crock + person/body part
用法筆記
Frequently passive ('be crocked'); common in British sports writing about injuries. Object is usually a body part or, in passive, the player themselves.
常見錯誤
5. (of a machine or person) to stop working properly because of damage, age, or tir
(of a machine or person) to stop working properly because of damage, age, or tiredness.
Bao's printer finally crocked after ten years of daily use in the office.
intransitive: subject is the machine
Chiara's old laptop crocked halfway through her university exam.
By midnight Devika had crocked and gone straight to bed without dinner.
The lawnmower will crock soon if Christopher keeps hitting stones with it.
- break down
everyday phrasal verb for machines that stop working
- collapse
stronger; suggests a sudden total failure
- give out
informal phrasal verb; common for engines, knees, and old appliances
- hold up
informal phrasal verb meaning to keep working despite stress or age
文法句型
[machine/person] + crock
用法筆記
Subject is usually a worn-out machine, but can be a person who is exhausted; differs from sense 4 in being intransitive and about gradual breakdown rather than a sudden injury caused by an actor.