Forms: 3–5 creatur, -our(e, 3– creature, (4–5 creater, crature, cryatur(e, 7 creture); (also dial. or colloq. 7 crytur, 8 creeter, cretur, 9 creatur, crater, critter, -ur; see also sense 1 d). [a. F. créature (11th c.), ad. L. creātūra thing created, f. ppl. stem of creāre to CREATE: see -URE.]
1. Anything created; a created being, animate or inanimate; a product of creative action; a creation.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 417 (Cott.). He fordestend tuin creature [Fairf. creatours] to serue him in þat hali ture.
a. 1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 5472. Godes creatures sere … Als þe son and þe mone and þe sterns.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 87. Of which [sc. God] that every creature Hath his being and his nature.
a. 1400. Leg. Rood (1871), 148. Þe Cros is a cold creatour.
1534. Tindale, 2 Cor. v. 17. Yf eny man be in Christ, he is a newe creature.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, 128 b. These thy gyftes and creatures of bread and wyne.
1595. Shaks., John, IV. i. 121. Fierce fire and iron … Creatures of note for mercy-lacking vses.
1641. R. Brooke, Eng. Episc., II. vii. 121. Light was one of the first Creatures.
1683. Brit. Spec., Pref. 2–3. Affirming the most High and Sacred Order of Kings … to be a meer human Creature.
1783. Cowper, Lett. to J. Newton. The first boat or canoe that was ever formed … was a more perfect creature in its kind than a balloon at present.
1856. Miss Winkworth, Tauler’s Life & Serm., xxvii. (1857), 395. Dress, jewels … a pleasant abode, and other transitory creatures.
1878. Hooker & Ball, Marocco, 274. The gentian and saxifrage … and the other bright creatures that haunt the mountain tops.
† b. The created universe; creation. Obs.
[a. 1300. Cursor M., 328 (Cott.). For-þi es godd, als sais scripture, Nan elder þan his creature.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Pet. iii. 4. So alle thinges lasten fro the bigynnynge of creature.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 480. Sithen the Fadris dieden alle thinges lasten fro the begynnyng of Creature.
1533. Coverdale, 2 Pet. iii. 4. Euery thinge contynueth as it was from the begynninge of ye creature.
1611. Bible, Rom. viii. 19. For the earnest expectation of the creature, waiteth for the manifestation of the sonnes of God.
c. Applied, after 1 Tim. iv. 4 (‘every creature of God is good’), to food and other things which minister to the material comfort of man; usually in phr. good creature.
1614. Bp. Hall, Recoll. Treat., 197. Those that come to their meate as to a medicine … shall be sure not to joy too much in the creature.
1658. Whole Duty Man, viii. § 12. 72. Waste … of the good creatures of God.
1756. C. Lucas, Ess. Waters, I. 170. Tea, snuff, and many other useful creatures.
1765. T. Hutchinson, Hist. Col. Mass. Bay, I. 107. The good creature tobacco.
1821. Lamb, Elia, Grace before Meat. We were put to it to reconcile the phrase ‘good creatures,’ upon which the blessing rested, with the fare set before us.
d. humorous. Intoxicating liquor; esp. whisky.
The ‘Irish’ pronunciation is represented by the spellings cratur, crater, crathur, etc.
[c. 1570. Pride & Lowl. The creature [wine] of the proper kinde Was good, though use offenden therewithall.
1604. Shaks., Oth., II. iii. 313. Come, come, good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well vs’d.]
1638. Penkethman, Artachthos, K iij. The moderate use of the Creature, and sparing Dyet, which is very little practised.
1690. Dryden, Amphitryon, III. i. My Master took too much of the creature last night.
a. 1695. Wood, Life (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), I. 298. They would … tiple and smoake till they were overtaken with the creature.
1758. Smollett, Ct. Fathom (1784), 32/2. The German … never went to bed without a full dose of the creature.
1772. R. Graves, Spir. Quix., VII. ii. (D.). He seems to like a bit of the good cretur as well as other folks.
1827. Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 386. His … followers … take a little ‘crathur.’
1888. Standard, 14 Aug., 2/4. Says he, ‘Maggie, have a drop of the cratur?’
2. A living ‘creature’ or created being, an animate being; an animal; often as distinct from ‘man.’
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1839 (Cott.). Þat was na creatur in liue þat moght to grund or reche or riue.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 2164, Ariadne. There dwellede cryatur non Save wilde bestes.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 5534. How many kind of creatours þat in þe cole duellis.
1503. Hawes, Examp. Virt., ii. 23. Euery beest and lyuynge creature.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., I. iii. 15. Commeth drowsie night, When every creature shrowded is in sleepe.
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 506. A Creature … not prone And Brute as other Creatures.
1721. Bailey, Cat, a Creature well known.
1733. Pope, Ess. Man, III. 172. ‘Go, from the Creatures thy instructions take.’
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 79. On introducing a living animal into the air, the creature was suffocated.
b. In U.S., esp. applied in rural use to cattle.
1698. Prov. Laws Mass. Act 10 Will. III. (Bartlett). The owners or claimers of any such creatures [i.e., swine, neat cattle, horses, or sheep], impounded as aforesaid, shall pay the fees, [etc.].
1822. J. Flint, Lett. fr. Amer., 94. She told us further, that travellers commonly hire a creature (a horse) at her house.
1853. Felton, Fam. Lett., xxvii. (1865), 249. The upper story … occupied by … the family, and the rooms below by the animals, or as a Yankee would call them, the critters.
1860. Bartlett, Dict. Amer., s.v., ‘The creatures will be put into the pasture to-day.’
1870. Lowell, Among My Books, Ser. I. (1873), 285. He also uses the word ‘creatures’ for kine, and the like, precisely as our farmers do now.
3. A human being; a person or individual (as in ‘every creature in the room’). Common in the phrase ‘our fellow-creatures.’ [So F. créature.]
c. 1300. K. Alis., 6948. Creature with him non nas Bote the treowe Perdicas.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. X. 364. Euery cristene creature shulde be kynde til other.
1495. Act 11 Hen. VII., c. 57. Preamb., Your seid Suppliaunt is as … repentant as any creature may be.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xxxii. 99. He was sore abasshed when he coude fynde no creature.
1594. Shaks., Rich. III., V. iii. 200. I shall dispaire, there is no Creature loues me.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 191, ¶ 4. Scarcely a creature would come near them.
1796. Jane Austen, Pride & Prej., iii. She was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time.
1837. Newman, Par. Serm. (ed. 3), I. i. 1. To make sinful creatures holy.
b. With qualifications expressing (a) admiration, approbation, affection or tenderness (sometimes playfully); (b) compassion or commiseration (sometimes with a shade of patronage).
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 50/134. Swuch a creature ase he [St. Edward] was.
c. 1300. St. Margarete, 170. Eni so holi creatoure.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 119. A ful comely creature, treuth she hiȝte.
1604. Shaks., Oth., IV. i. 194. The world hath not a sweeter Creature. Ibid. (1610), Temp., III. i. 25. No, precious Creature, I had rather cracke my sinewes.
1711. Steele, Spect., No. 113, ¶ 3. A beautiful Creature in a Widow’s Habit sat in Court.
1846. W. E. Forster, in T. W. Reid, Life (1888), I. vi. 186. However, the dear creatures did what I asked them.
1883. G. Lloyd, Ebb & Flow, II. 39. The best creature in the world.
1530. Palsgr., 210/2. Creature, a povre soule, creature.
1586. R. Langdale, Will, in Yorksh. Archæol. Jrnl., XI. 417. To Barbarey her doughter … beinge a lame creatur.
1641. Brome, Joviall Crew, III. Wks. 1873, III. 398. Your Worships Charity to a poor Crytur welly starv’d.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. viii. 191. I was the most disconsolate Creature alive.
1870. E. Peacock, Ralf Skirl., I. 107. ‘Can you tell me which of the poor old creatures it is?’
c. Expressing reprobation or contempt.
(Originally with qualifications as in b, but at length used alone = creature of a kind which one forbears to specify.)
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 1707. Þe caitifeste creatour [v.r. creatur] þat cried was euire.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xxxiii. 103. A more fouler and hydeous creature was neuer sene.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. iii. 17. And from the common’st creature plucke a Gloue. Ibid. (1601), Jul. C., I. i. 1. Hence home, you idle Creatures.
1712. Steele, Spect., No. 410, ¶ 1. Decent Dresses being often affected by the Creatures of the Town.
1735. Pope, Prol. Sat., 92. The creature’s at his dirty work again.
1752. Johnson, Rambler, No. 194, ¶ 5. To lose his time in attending to the creatures on the stage.
1813. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp., X. 475. The creatures who govern at Cadiz appear to feel no such interest.
1888. M. Morris, Claverhouse, ix. 154. Though the Duke was a weak creature, his position was strong.
4. fig. That which is produced by, or owes its being solely to, another thing; a result, product or offspring of anything.
1651. Hobbes, Leviath., I. xii. 53. Nothing else but creatures of the Fancy.
1662. Petty, Taxes, 26. Both Ships and Garments were the creatures of Lands and mens Labours thereupon.
1746–7. Hervey, Medit. (1758), II. 11. Nor are these Miseries imaginary only, or the Creatures of a groundless Panic.
1854. Brewster, More Worlds, xvi. 247. In support of these theories he adduces the zodiacal light, itself a creature of theory.
1855. Sir J. Pearson, in Law Times Rep., LIII. 382/2. The railway and the rights of the railway are the creatures of the Act of Parliament.
5. One who owes his fortune and position to a patron; one who is actuated by the will of another, or is ready to do his bidding; an instrument or puppet. [So F. créature, said in this sense to be from It.]
1587. Golding, De Mornay, x. 139. When they [kings, etc.] giue any man a qualitie which he had not afore they terme him their Creature, as hauing made somewhat of nothing, in respect of the qualitie wherewith he was indued.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1621), 246. In their roomes [he] placed other his owne creatures.
1607. Shaks., Timon, I. i. 116. This Fellow heere, Lord Timon, this thy Creature, By night frequents my house.
1699. Burnet, 39 Art., xxiv. (1700), 265. The See of Rome did … dispose of the best Benefices to their own Creatures and Servants.
1762. Hume, Hist. Eng. (1806), IV. liv. 168. Sir Francis Windebank … was a creature of Laud’s.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vi. 317. For great as was Wolsey’s pride, he regarded himself and proclaimed himself simply as the creature of the King.
fig. a. 1704. T. Brown, Praise of Wealth (1730), I. 84. To be the creature or servant of Justice and Nature.
1862. Sir B. Brodie, Psychol. Inq., II. iii. 83. We are but the creatures of circumstances.
6. Comb. a. appositive, as creature-delights, -god, -good; b. attributive (‘of, pertaining to, connected with creatures’), as creature competitions, attraction; c. objective genitive, as creature-worship, -love.
1648. Boyle, Seraph. Love, xi. (1700), 56. All Creature-competitions … would then be … impossible.
1665. T. Mall, Offer of F. Help, 96. O mortifie self-love and creature-love.
1671. Flavel, Fount. of Life, ii. 4. The best Creature-delights … are mixed.
1678. Cudworth, Intell. Syst., 472. Injoyning Creature-worship … with the Worship of the Creator. Ibid., 551. The γεννητοὶ θεοὶ, that is, the Creature-Gods.
1689. P. Henry, Diaries & Lett. (1882), 364. He is both Jachin and Boaz too; our creature-props are neither.
1738. Wesley, Psalms (1765), li. 17. No Creature-Good dost thou desire.
1826. W. Jay, Christian Contemplated (1828), ii. 72. Another prevention is to be found in creature attraction and worldly cares.
d. creature-comforts, material comforts (such as food and clothing).
1659. [see COMFORT sb. 7].
1670. Brooks, Wks. (1867), VI. 161. With plentiful store of all creature-comforts.
1850. T. A. Trollope, Impress. Wand., xviii. 281. Toulouse … [is] abundantly supplied with all the creature-comforts of life.
