crow
/krəʊ/ (bre, ipa) · [krˈo] /krəʊ/ (ame, ipa) · [krˈo] /ˈkrō/ (ame, mw) · [krˈo] /kroʊ/ (ame, ipa)
crow — noun
- crowsingular
- crowsplural
1. a fairly large bird with shiny black feathers, a strong dark beak, and a rough,
a fairly large bird with shiny black feathers, a strong dark beak, and a rough, harsh call; found across the world in many different habitats
A crow sat on the telephone wire and watched the street below.
Arjun noticed a crow pulling at a piece of bread on the path.
countable noun with action verb
Every morning a group of crows gathers in the old oak tree near the library.
The farmer put a scarecrow in the field to keep the crows away from the corn.
Ayana saw a large black crow land on the fence outside her kitchen window.
文法句型
crow + verb
a murder of crows
用法筆記
In British English, 'crow' is sometimes used informally for related birds like rooks and jackdaws, though biologists distinguish them.
常見錯誤
2. the loud, long, high-pitched cry that a rooster (adult male chicken) makes, espe
the loud, long, high-pitched cry that a rooster (adult male chicken) makes, especially early in the morning
The rooster's crow woke everyone on the farm before sunrise.
Piotr heard a distant crow from a neighbour's garden at five in the morning.
A loud crow echoed across the yard as the farmer opened the chicken coop door.
The crow of a rooster is a classic sound in films set in the countryside.
- cock-a-doodle-doo
the conventional English spelling of the sound, used by children
文法句型
a rooster's crow
the crow of a rooster
用法筆記
This sense refers specifically to the sound, not the bird itself. For the bird, use sense 1 (NOISY BIRD).
3. a Native American people whose traditional homeland lies in the northern Great P
a Native American people whose traditional homeland lies in the northern Great Plains, centred around the Yellowstone River valley in what is now Montana
The Crow have lived in the Yellowstone River area for hundreds of years.
the Crow — refers to the people as a group
Asher read a book about the history of the Crow and their horsemanship.
The Crow Nation holds an annual fair with traditional dancing and rodeo events.
Baraka visited the Crow reservation in Montana and learned about their oral traditions.
- Apsáalooke
the name the Crow people use for themselves in their own language
文法句型
the Crow
the Crow people
the Crow Nation
用法筆記
When referring to the people as a whole, use 'the Crow' (plural verb). The name comes from an English translation of the native name Apsáalooke, interpreted by early settlers as 'children of the crow-like bird'.
4. a person belonging to the Crow nation, a Native American tribe whose homeland is
a person belonging to the Crow nation, a Native American tribe whose homeland is in the northern Great Plains
Sivan met a Crow who showed her traditional beadwork at the cultural centre.
The museum hired a Crow to help present the exhibits about plains life.
Many Crow work to keep their language and customs alive for younger generations.
The festival featured a Crow elder telling stories about the tribe's history.
- Apsáalooke person
the self-referencing term in the Crow language
文法句型
a Crow
the Crows
用法筆記
The plural form is 'Crow' (not 'Crows'), though 'Crows' appears occasionally in older texts. Avoid using 'Crow' as a label unless the person identifies that way; 'member of the Crow Nation' is often preferred.
常見錯誤
5. the Siouan language traditionally spoken by the Crow people, still used by a sma
the Siouan language traditionally spoken by the Crow people, still used by a small number of speakers in Montana
Fewer than four thousand people speak Crow fluently today.
speak Crow — no article needed for languages
Amani is learning Crow through a programme at the tribal college.
The word for 'child' in Crow sounds quite different from the word in other Siouan languages.
Elders recorded stories in Crow so the language would not be lost.
- Apsáalooke (language)
the preferred native name for the language
文法句型
speak Crow
in Crow
Crow language
用法筆記
Language names in English do not take an article: 'speak Crow' not 'speak the Crow'. The language is endangered, with active revitalisation efforts in Montana.
常見錯誤
6. a loud, proud statement in which someone boasts about their own success, often i
a loud, proud statement in which someone boasts about their own success, often in a way that annoys others
After winning the race, Samir let out a crow of triumph that echoed across the field.
Trang's crow about her top score made the rest of the class roll their eyes.
crow about something — the thing being boasted about
Wei's crow of victory annoyed the other players on the losing team.
Dahlia gave a small crow of satisfaction when she solved the puzzle first.
- murmur
a quiet, modest utterance
文法句型
a crow of triumph
a crow about something
用法筆記
This sense is less common than the verb form (sense verb/2). Often used in the fixed phrase 'eat crow' (to admit you were wrong and apologise), where the meaning is the opposite — humility rather than boasting.
crow — verb
- crowpresent simple I / you / we / they
- crows3rd person singular
- crowing-ing form
- crowedpast simple
1. to produce the loud, piercing cry typical of a rooster, usually at daybreak
to produce the loud, piercing cry typical of a rooster, usually at daybreak
The rooster crowed at dawn and woke the farm animals.
Shirin's neighbour keeps chickens, and the rooster crows every day before sunrise.
A rooster crowed three times before anyone in the house opened their eyes.
The old rooster crowed loudly when Christopher stepped into the barn.
Roosters crow at all hours of the day, not just in the morning.
文法句型
rooster + crows
crow + at + time/event
用法筆記
The past tense is 'crowed'. The form 'crew' exists in older British English but is now very rare. This verb is used only for roosters — for other birds use different verbs (sing, call, squawk).
常見錯誤
2. to talk in an annoyingly proud way about a success or achievement, making others
to talk in an annoyingly proud way about a success or achievement, making others feel that you are showing off
After scoring the winning point, Christopher crowed about his shot to anyone who would listen.
crow about something — the thing you are boasting about
Yan crowed over her perfect score for the rest of the week.
There is no need to crow — we all worked hard on this project together.
Piotr refused to crow about his promotion, knowing his colleague had also applied for the job.
The winning team crowed over their rivals after the final whistle.
- downplay
to make one's achievements seem less important
文法句型
crow about something
crow over something
用法筆記
Has a negative connotation — suggests the person is being rude or insensitive by boasting. Commonly used with 'about' (the thing achieved) or 'over' (the defeated opponent). Does NOT take a that-clause (*'He crowed that he won'). Use 'crow about winning' instead.
常見錯誤
3. to utter bright, happy cries in the way that babies do when they are enjoying so
to utter bright, happy cries in the way that babies do when they are enjoying something
The baby crowed with joy when Manuela picked her up from the cot.
crow with joy/delight — typical collocation
Little Amani crowed and clapped her hands as the bubbles floated past.
Eve's baby crowed happily at the picture of a dog in the board book.
The infant crowed whenever her father made a funny face at her.
- wail
a loud, unhappy cry
文法句型
baby + crows
crow with delight
crow at something
用法筆記
Only used for babies (human infants). Do not use for older children or adults — it would sound strange. The closest adult equivalent is 'chuckle' or 'giggle'.