Obs. exc. Hist. Forms: 4– crayer, 5 krayer, 5–7 Sc. crear, 6 creyer, crayor, craire, Sc. crayar, 6–7 craier, craer, Sc. and north. crair, 9 creer, 6– crare. [a. OF. crayer, craier, creer, croyer, in med.L. craiera, creyera.] A small trading vessel formerly used.
c. 1325. Coer de L., 4785. Berges, schoutes, crayeres [printed trayeres] fele.
a. 1400[?]. Morte Arth., 3667. Cogge appone cogge, krayers and oþer.
1481–90. Howard Househ. Bks. (Roxb.), 25. His crayer ladden with wete.
1493. Charter, in Hist. Montrose (1866), I. 10. All schippis, crearis, and botis perteining to oure leigis.
1548. Hall, Chron., 18 b. Robbed .v. or .vi. littel Craiers and fisher botes laden with fyshe and corne.
1551. Acts Privy Council, 15 Nov. III. 417. Those Fleminges that have unlaufully taken ij Englishe crares.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 205. To show what coast thy sluggish crare Might easiliest harbour in.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., 496. Our Cobles, Crayers, and Boats beeing small,… are easily swallowed by a rough Sea.
1753. Maitland, Hist. Edin., III. 248/1. Every large Lime-boat, and Crear without a Topmast.
1844. Jack, Hist. St. Monance, xi. 73. There were five or six creers that sailed regularly from this port to the Orkney isles, in prosecution of the winter herring-fishing.
1849. Jas. Grant, Kirkaldy of Gr., xiv. 131. He made several voyages with two armed crayers or sloops between Leith and the shores of Fife.
