Forms: 1 crafian, 2–5 crauen, 4– craue, crave; (also 5 crawyn, 5–6 Sc. craif(f, crayff). [OE. crafian:—OTeut. type *kraƀôjan; akin to which ON. had in same sense kręfja (:—kraƀjan), Sw. kräfva, Da. kræve to demand, require, exact: cf. ON. krafa fem. craving, demand. Not known elsewhere in Teutonic, but kraƀ-, kraf- has been conjectured to be the root of craft, with a radical sense of ‘to force, exact.’]
† 1. trans. To demand (a thing), to ask with authority, or by right. Obs.
c. 1025. Cnut’s Sec. Laws, 70, in Thorpe I. 412. Ȝif hwa wite crafiʓe.
1070. O. E. Chron. Þæt he [Lanfranc] mid rihte crafede þas þa he crafede. Ibid. Eal þæt se arceb’ æt him crafede eadmedlice ʓefylde.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 1667. Quatso ðu wilt for hire crauen, Aske it wið skil and ðu salt hauen.
c. 1320. Cast. Love, 249. And þeuwe and þral may not craue Þorw riht non heritage to haue. Ibid., 257. Þat mowe his heritage craue.
† b. To demand the presence of (a person) before a tribunal; to ‘appeal,’ to summon; to prosecute. Obs. [Cf. 11th c. Anglo-L. cravare ‘postulare, in judicium mittere,’ Du Cange.]
c. 1000. Sax. Leechd., III. 288. Ðæt man … crafode hine on hundrede.
a. 1300. E. E. Psalter cxviii. 121. Noght gif þou me to me cravand [L. persequentibus me]. Ibid., 122. Noght þe proude sal crave me [L. non calumnientur mihi superbi].
c. Here perhaps belongs the Sc. Law use: To ask (as of right) from a legal tribunal.
1681. Stair, Inst., IV. 38 § 28. [Entitled] to compete and crave preference.
1818. [see 3].
1881. Alloa Advertiser, No. 1617. 3/1. They will crave interdict in the Court of Session.
2. To ask earnestly, to beg for (a thing), esp. as a gift or favor. Const. of, from († at) a person.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 8400 (Cott.). For na ȝerning þat i haue, Ani couenand of þe to craue.
c. 1300. Havelok, 633. He sat up, and crauede bred.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 60. Þe erle com himself mercy for to craue.
c. 1590. Greene, Fr. Bacon, v. 80. To crave some succour of the jolly friar.
1592. Shaks., Rom. & Jul., I. v. 113. Madam your mother craues a word with you.
1594. Carew, Huarte’s Exam. Wits, xiv. (1596), 239. Salomon … craued wisdom from heaven.
1611. Bible, Mark xv. 43. Ioseph of Arimathea … went in boldly vnto Pilate, and craued the body or Iesus.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 193, ¶ 3. I the rather make bold to crave your Advice.
1839–40. W. Irving, Wolfert’s R. (1855), 258. The cavalier … knelt and craved a benediction.
1868. J. T. Nettleship, Ess. Browning’s Poetry, ii. 73. I must crave the indulgence of the philosophic reader.
b. Often in the courteous or apologetic phrases To crave pardon, leave, etc. Cf. BEG v. 3.
1575–6. Thynne, in Animadv., Introd. (1865), 54. Cravinge pardonne for my tedious writinge.
1666. Dryden, Ann. Mirab., Pref., Wks. (Globe), 40. I must crave leave to tell you.
1736. Berkeley, Disc., Wks. 1871, III. 421. I shall crave leave to make use of some unsuspected testimonies.
1820. Scott, Monast., xvi. I crave leave to observe, that [etc.].
1849. G. P. R. James, Woodman, v. Let me crave pardon for having detained you so long.
c. To beg to know; ask to be told or informed.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shrew, II. i. 180. If she denie to wed, Ile craue the day When I shall aske the banes.
1735. Pope, Donne Sat., iv. 67. ‘Permit’ (he cries) ‘no stranger to your fame To crave your sentiment.’
1748. Smollett, Rod. Rand. (1845), 35. He craved my name.
d. To crave to do, or that something be done.
c. 1175. Pater Noster, 74, in Lamb. Hom., 59. His nome … he hit haleȝe þet we crauen.
c. 1440. Boctus (Laud MS. 559), fol. 5 b. I woll not craue Yooure doughter ne yoour tresoure to haue.
1578. T. N., trans. Conq. W. India, Pref. b j b. I do … but onely craue, that it may please thee [etc.].
1591. Shaks., 1 Hen. VI., II. ii. 46. When Ladyes craue to be encountred with.
1645. Milton, Tetrach., Wks. 1738, I. 246. Here are no Laws made, here only the execution of Law is crav’d might be suspended.
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, II. (1692), 4. The Keeper craved to be heard.
e. To crave of a person to do a thing (obs.), or that he do something.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. ii. 26. Craving of you, in pitty of my state, To doe none ill.
1833. H. Martineau, Cinnamon & P., iv. 65. The verdure seemed to crave of the light clouds … that they would descend in showers.
3. To ask, request (a person) of, after, for a thing, to do something; also, with double object, a person a thing.
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 2. Ȝe … habbeð moni dai iremd on me [v.r. icraued me] efter riwle.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 278. Maistres þat techen clerkes crauen hure for mede.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 887 (Ashmole MS.). Litill kyngis … Caires into þe curte to craue him þar dettis.
1471. Ripley, Comp. Alch., V. in Ashm. (1652), 160. Dyscover yt not whoever thee crave.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. viii. 45. His auld promis na mair will I hym craif.
1663. Gerbier, Counsel, G v a. None of those who are pleased to accept it, are craved to Patronize it.
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xii. The crown, says he, canna be craved to prove a positive.
4. To ask (a debtor) for payment, to dun. Sc.
1812. W. Ingram, Poems, 75 (Jam.).
| It is because he scorns to bow | |
| To Mammon, so enslaving; | |
| And strives to pay what he is due, | |
| Without repeated craving? |
1825–79. Jamieson, s.v., ‘I crav’d him whenever I met him.’
5. transf. Of persons (their appetites, etc.): To long or yearn for, to desire earnestly; to call for or demand, in order to gratify a desire or appetite; to have a craving for.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4442. Ȝe couett & craue castels & rewmes.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., II. (1586), 87. Who so ploweth his Olive Garden, craveth fruite.
1611. Bible, Prov. xvi. 26. Hee that laboureth, laboureth for himselfe; for his mouth craueth it of him.
1669. Penn, No Cross, I. v. § 11. What the Eye views not, the Heart craves not.
1737. Pope, Hor. Epist., II. ii. 212. If, when the more you drink, the more you crave, You tell the Doctor.
1841. Helps, Ess., Aids Contentm., 11. Each of us craves a recognition of his talents and his labours.
1890. Besant, Demoniac, v. 91. He was to be cured by the absence of the thing that feeds the disease and that the disease constantly craves.
6. fig. Of things. To need greatly, to require, to call for, demand (something necessary or desirable). (Const. also with inf. or obj.-clause.)
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 156. Necessitie craveth, that with him … conference be not refused.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., IV. (1586), 180 b. Bees … crave diligent regard, when they are about to swarm.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., II. 44. His designes craue hast. Ibid. (1611), Cymb., IV. ii. 362. Informe vs of thy Fortunes, for it seemes They craue to be demanded.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 183. The Ananas for goodnesse and shape may craue attention.
1770. Langhorne, Plutarch (1879), I. 161. Other parts of matter … crave the force of fire as an informing soul.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, III. x. The time craves speed! Ibid. (1820), Ivanhoe, xvii. But come, fill a flagon, for it will crave some time to tune the harp.
7. a. intr. Const. for, after.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 25823 (Cott.). For es na man mai merci haue þat wil noght ask and efter craue.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 518 (Harl.). What thyng we may not lightly haue, Therafter wol we sonnest crie and craue.
c. 1440. York Myst., xxiv. 142. And for comforte þei call and craue.
1526. Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W., 1531), 248 b. It wyll craue importunely for sustenaunce.
a. 1641. Suckling, Song, ‘If you refuse me once,’ 16 (J.). Once one may crave for love.
1736. Butler, Anal., I. iii. 66. Vices … like so many harpies, craving for their accustomed gratification.
a. 1862. Buckle, Civiliz. (1869), III. v. 380. They taught the men of their generation to crave after the unseen.
b. absol.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. VII. 49. And non so bold beggere to bydden and craue.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 11. (Cain) It is better hold that I have Then go from doore to doore and crave.
1598. Barret, Theor. Warres, II. i. 24. Not begging nor crauing with bolde and shamelesse faces.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. xix.* 127. He who gives to day may crave to morrow.
1693. Dryden, Persius, IV. 50 (J.). Who, spite of all his store, Is ever Craving, and will still be Poor?
1865. Baring-Gould, Were-wolves, xiv. 248. At that time the old man was craving with hunger.
Hence Craved ppl. a., begged, entreated.
1614. Bp. Hall, Recoll. Treat., 60. The last refuge o. a craved, denied, and constrained courtesie?
