Pa. t. and pa. pple. crept. Forms: see below. [A common Teutonic strong vb.: OE. créopan = OS. criopan, OFris. kriapa (NFris. krepen, Satl. kriope), ON. krjúpa (Sw. krypa, Da. krybe):—OTeut. *kreupan. As with some other verbs of the same class (cf. BOW, BROOK, LOUT), the present has in some of the langs. ú for eu, as OLG. krúpan, MDu. crúpen, Du. kruipen, MLG., LG. and EFris. krûpen, MG. krûfen, kraufen. In OHG. replaced by chriohhan, MHG. and mod.Ger. kriechen, repr. a type kreukan, the relation of which to kreupan is uncertain.
The OTeut. conjugation was, pres. kreupan, pa. t. kraup, pl. krupun, pa. pple. krupan; whence OE. pres. créopan (3rd sing. críepp), pa. t. créap, pl. crupon, pa. pple. cropen. The OE. pres. créopan, ME. crēpen (close ē), has regularly given the modern creep; occasional ME. instances of crope are app. errors. The pa. t. sing. créap regularly gave ME. crêp (open ê), spelt also crepe, creep(e, which was in general use to the 15th c., and survives with short vowel in the dialectal crep. The plural crupon, crupe(n, became in the 13th c. cropen, crope, after the pa. pple.; and this passed also into the sing. as crope, the prevailing type of the tense to the 16th c., after which it gradually dropped out of literary use, though still widely used in English and U.S. dialects. In the northern dial., the form adopted in the 13th c. was crap (after the pa. t. of other classes), which is still Scotch. But already before 1400, weak forms creep-ed and crep-t, began to take the place of all these, the second of which has since 16th c. gradually attained to be the standard form, leaving crep, crope, crop, crup, crap, as only dialectal. The pa. pple. cropen continued till the 17th c. in literary use, and to the 19th c. in the northern dial. where the vowel is still short croppen, cruppen; in the south it became in 13th c. crope, also literary Eng. to the 18th c.; but a weak form crepid, creeped began to appear in the 14th c., and in the form crept, identical with the pa. t., has been the dominant form since the 16th c.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. Pres. tense. 1 créopan, críopan, (crýpan), 1–3 3rd sing. criep(e)ð; 2–4 creope(n, (kreope(n); 2–6 crepe(n, (3–6 crope, 4 cryepe); 4–5 krepe, 4–7 creepe, (6 creape), 7– creep, (Sc. 5– creip).
c. 1000. Ælfric, Gram., xxviii. (Z.), 170. Repo ic creope.
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 23. Hwa creopeð þer-in?
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 199. Þe neddre … criepeð … þureh nerewe hole.
a. 1250. Owl & Night., 819. Þe fox can crepe [v.r. crope] bi þe heie.
c. 1305. Edmund Conf., 107, in E. E. P. (1862), 73. Makede hire redi to kreopen in.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XXI. 475. Arys … and creop on kneos to þe croys.
1483. Cath. Angl., 81. To Crepe, repere.
1570. Levins, Manip., 70. To creepe, repere.
1583. Hollyband, Campo di Fior, 137. Why creape you on the grounde?
1667. Milton, P. L., II. 950. And swims or sinks, or wades, or creeps, or flyes.
2. Past tense. α. sing. 1–3 créap, 3 (creop), 3–5 crep, crepe, 4–5 creep(e, 9 dial. crep; pl. 1 crupon, 2–3 crupen.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 394 (Bosw.). Heo creap betwux ðam mannum.
a. 1100. O. E. Chron., an. 1083. Sume crupon under.
a. 1225. Leg. Kath., 908. [He] com ant creap in ure.
c. 1250. Gen. & Ex., 2924. Ðor crep a dragun.
1340–70. Alisaunder, 1009. Þer crep oute an addre.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 306. She creepe [v.rr. (MSS. 1435–75) creep, crepe, crep, crepte] in to the clerk.
1881. Leicester Gloss., Crep, pt. and p.p., crept.
β. pl. 3–4 cropen, 3– crope; sing. 4 crop, croup, 5– crope (sing. & pl. 6 croape, dial. 7–9 crop, 9 crup).
c. 1275. Lay., 18472. Somme hii crope [c. 1205 crupen] to þan wode.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., 170/2217. Heo … cropen al-so ase ametene al aboute.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 2303 (Cott.). Þaa wigurs croup þe warlau in.
c. 1420. Avow. Arth., lxv. The caytef crope in-to a tunne.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Sam. xiii. 6. They crope in to caues and dennes.
1572. R. H., trans. Lauaterus’ Ghostes (1596), 207. Divers errours croape into the Church.
1606. Birnie, Kirk-Buriall (1833), 14. Before the Kirk-buriall crop in.
1672. Sir C. Wyvill, Triple Crown, 160. After three hours time, he crope quietly in again, whence he had come out.
a. 1734. North, Exam., I. iii. § 144 (1740), 217. Another Witness crope out against the Lord Stafford.
1831. Landor, Fra Rupert, Wks. 1846, II. 577. His dog soon crope betwixt us.
1883. C. F. Smith, Southernisms, in Trans. Amer. Philol. Soc., 47. Crope, preterit and past participle of creep, is common among the negroes and poorer whites.
γ. north. 3–9 crap, (4–5 crape).
c. 1205. Lay., 29282. Þe sparewe innene crap.
c. 1450. Henryson, Mor. Fab., 44. To an Caue he crape.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. v. (iv.) 48. And crap in wnder the feit of the goddes.
a. 1605. Montgomerie, ‘Since that the Hevins,’ 41. With my king in credit once I crap.
1795. H. Macneill, Will & Jean, III. Gloamin … crap ower distant hill and plain.
δ. 4–5 creped, -id, crepped, (kreppet), 7–9 creeped, (4– Sc. creipit).
c. 1300. K. Alis., 390. On hire bed twyes he leped, The thridde tyme yn he creped.
14[?]. Chancer MS. [see B 1].
1634. Massinger, Very Woman, IV. iii. How the devil Creeped he into my head?
1807. [see B. 1].
Mod. Sc. A fox creepit [or crap] through the hole.
ε. 4– crept(e.
c. 1350. Cursor M., 15388 (Fairf.). Cropped in him Sathanas [Trin. MS. crepte, Cott. crep, Gött. croupe].
c. 1350. Will. Palerne, 2235. And crepten into a caue.
1548. Hall, Chron., 169. Whereunto … [this] tended and crept up.
1632. Lithgow, Trav., IV. (1682), 141. He crept in favour with Christians.
1860. Tyndall, Glac., I. § 9. 69. We crossed crevasses and crept round slippery ridges.
3. Pa. pple. α. 1–7 (north. dial. –9) cropen, 5–6 Sc. croppin, croipin, (6 crepen, 9 north. dial. croppen, cruppen, Yorksh. creppen).
c. 1205. Lay., 5671. Þa ilke þe aniht weoren atcropene.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 886. As thou … were cropen out of the ground.
1423. James I., Kingis Q., clxxxii. Quho that from hell war croppin onys in hevin.
1481. Caxton, Reynard (Arb.), 17. He had cropen therein.
a. 1553. Philpot, Wks. (1842), 336. Corruptions have crepen into the people.
1563. Winȝet, Four Scoir Thre Quest., Wks. 1888, I. 132. Abuiss … croipin in the Kirk.
a. 1572. Knox, Hist. Ref., Wks. 1846, I. 401. Frensche men ar croppin in of lait in our cuntrey.
1621. Markham, Prev. Hunger (1655), 32. Cropen away and hidden.
1698. Lister, in Phil. Trans., XX. 247. [They] would have cropen away.
1790. Mrs. Wheeler, Westmrld. Dial. (1821), 23. Sic pride croppen intul Storth an Arnside.
1855. Robinson, Whitby Gloss., Croppen or Cropen, crept. ‘Where hae ye gitten croppen to?’
β. 3–4 ycrope, ycrop, 3–8 crope, (4–5 crepe).
c. 1275. Lay., 5671. Þat weren awei crope.
c. 1325. Coer de L., 3473. In the erthe they wolde have crope.
c. 1330. Arth. & Merl., 7229. Whider-ward were ye y-crope.
c. 1440. Capgrave, Life St. Kath., III. 404. If he ware Crope thorow þe ȝate.
1595. Markham, Sir R. Grinvile, To the fayrest, i. A Heauenlie fier is crope into my braine.
1642. Rogers, Naaman, 71. The Lord speakes of those … despised men, crope out of captivity.
a. 1734. North, Examen, 273 (D.). The Captain was just crope out of Newgate.
γ. 4–5 crepid, 7–9 creeped.
c. 1430. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 339 (Camb. MS.). He wende a crepid by hese felawe Ion [5 MSS. cropen, Harl. crope].
1761. Hume, Hist. Eng., I. xvi. 396. Intestine faction had creeped into the Government of France.
Mod. Sc. It has creepit oot.
δ. 6– crept.
1535. Coverdale, 1 Macc. vi. 11. Some yt were crepte in to dennes.
1611. Bible, Jude 4. There are certaine men crept in vnawares.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 195. Mahomet has a little crept among them.
1855. Tennyson, Maud, III. vi. i. My life has crept so long on a broken wing.
4. The Perfect Tense was formerly, as in go, come, etc., formed with be to express result: he is cropen or crept in.
c. 1205–1423. [see 3 α above].
1534. Tyndale, Jude 4. For ther are certayne craftely crept in.
1545. Joye, Exp. Dan., vii. iij b. Oute of poore scoles & cloysters are these beggers cropen vp.
1650. Earl Monm., trans. Senault’s Man bec. Guilty, 338. As soon as they are crope out from their Spring-head.
1706. A. Bedford, Temple Mus., vii. 151. No Errors are crept into the … Text.
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 57, ¶ 4. That Party-Rage which … is very much crept into their Conversation.
a. 1734. [see 3 β.].
B. Signification.
1. intr. To move with the body prone and close to the ground, as a short-legged reptile, an insect, a quadruped moving stealthily, a human being on hands and feet, or in a crouching posture.
Formerly said of snakes, worms, and other creatures without limbs, for which crawl is now more usual, though in some cases either may be used: see CRAWL v.
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxvi. § 4. Oþer næfþ his fota ʓeweald þæt he mæʓe gan … and onginþ creopan [Bodl. MS. crypan] on ðone ilcan weʓ.
c. 1000. Ælfric, Hom., II. 488 (Bosw.). Him comon to creopende fela næddran.
c. 1205. Lay., 29313. Þe king him gon crepen an heonden and a futen.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Reeve’s T., 339. He wende haue cropen [MS. Camb. crepid, Harl. crope] by his felawe Iohn, And by the Millere in he creepe [v.rr. creep, crape, crepede, crept] anon.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, IV. xxxiii. (1483), 82. The serpent … shold … crepe vpon his breste.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., IV. ii. 59. Creepe into the Kill-hole.
1611. Florio, Carponare, to creepe on all foure.
1634. Sir T. Herbert, Trav., 213. Land Tortoyses, (so great that they will creepe with two mens burthens…).
1705. Berkeley, Cave of Dunmore, Wks. IV. 509. We were forced to stoop, and soon after creep on our knees.
1735. Somerville, Chase, III. 146. See there he [the fox] creeps along; his Brush he drags.
1807. Robinson, Archæol. Græca, III. vi. 227. A person accused creeped on his hands through the fire.
1864. Tennyson, Aylmer’s F., 852. [There] the slow-worm creeps.
† b. Proverbially contrasted with go (= ‘walk’).
c. 888. K. Ælfred, Boeth., xxxvi. § 4. Se biþ mihtiʓra se ðe gæþ þonne se þe criepð [Bodl. MS. crypþ].
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 267. The Dikes were so develye depe … Ouer cowde thai nothir goo nor crepe.
c. 1460. Towneley Myst., 114. Kynde wille crepe Where it may not go.
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 135. Children must learne to créepe ere they can go.
1663. Bp. Patrick, Parab. Pilgr., 304. The most imperfect souls, who are not as yet able to go, but only to creep in the way to heaven.
1741. Richardson, Pamela, III. 352. And besides, as the vulgar saying is, One must creep before one goes!
1836. [Mrs. Traill], Backwoods of Canada, 57. I used to hear when I was a boy, ‘first creep and then go.’
† c. To creep to the Cross (also to creep the Cross): spec. used of the Adoration of the Cross, in the Roman Service for Good Friday. Obs.
c. 1200. Trin. Coll. Hom., 95. Crepe to cruche on lange fridai.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVIII. 428. Ariseth … And crepeth to þe crosse on knees.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., 269. Not as thouȝ thei crepiden thanne there to noon other thing saue to the Ymage, but that thei aftir her ymaginacioun crepiden to the persoon of Crist.
a. 1500. Ratis Raving, II. 129. Nocht our oft creip the corss one kneis.
15[?]. in Boorde, Introd. Knowl. (1870), Introd. 92. The Usher to lay a Carpett for the Kinge to Creepe to the Crosse upon.
1554. Bale, Declar. Bonner’s Articles (1561), D iv b. To creape to the crosse on good Fryday featly.
1586–92. Warner, Alb. Eng., 115 (N.). We kiss the pix, we creepe the crosse, our beades we overrunne.
1606. Shaks., Tr. & Cr., III. iii. 73. To come as humbly as they vs’d to creepe To holy Altars.
1630. J. Taylor, Wks. (N.). Because they would not creepe unto the crosse, And change Gods sacred Word for humane drosse.
2. To move softly, cautiously, timorously or slowly; to move quietly and stealthily so as to elude observation; to steal (into, away, etc.).
c. 1175. Lamb. Hom., 23. And þer beo analpi holh þat an mon mei crepan in.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 198. This lady tho was crope a side As she, that wolde her selven hide.
c. 1470. Henry, Wallace, VI. 627. Full law thai crap, quhill thai war out off sicht.
1577. B. Googe, Heresbach’s Husb., I. (1586), 6. The Fathers forsaking the Plough … began to creepe into the Toune.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., II. vii. 146. The whining Schoole-boy … creeping like snaile Vnwillingly to schoole.
1705. Addison, Italy, 9. We here took a little Boat to creep along the Sea-shore as far as Genoa.
1850. Tennyson, In Mem., vii. 7. Like a guilty thing I creep At earliest morning to the door.
1873. Black, Pr. Thule, xxv. 421. If this wind continues, we can creep up to-morrow to Loch Roag.
b. Of things: To move slowly.
1650. Fuller, Pisgah, II. x. 214. Where the brook Zorek creeps faintly out of the Tribe of Judah.
1752. Young, Brothers, II. i. Go, fool, and teach a cataract to creep!
1867. Whittier, Tent on Beach, xxiv. The mists crept upward chill and damp.
1878. Huxley, Physiogr., 178, note. The sea-bottom over which the cold water creeps.
3. fig. (of persons and things). a. To advance or come on slowly, stealthily, or by imperceptible degrees; to insinuate oneself into; to come in or up unobserved; to steal insensibly upon or over.
c. 1340. Cursor M., 14147 (Trin.). Þat sekenes crepte to heued & fote.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Wks. (1880), 296. Þise newe ordris, þat ben cropen in wiþ-oute grounde.
c. 1430. Hymns Virg. (1867), 84. Now age is cropen on me ful stille.
c. 1430. Lydg., Chron. Troy, I. i. So ferre he was cropen into age.
1533. Q. Cath. Parr, trans. Erasm. Commune Crede, 74 b. By unlawfull plesure crope in the death and destruction of mankynde.
1565. Golding, Ovid’s Met., VI. (1593), 172. Sleepe upon my carefull carcasse crope.
1647–8. Cotterell, Davila’s Hist. Fr. (1678), 19. These opinions … crept up, till they were universally embraced.
1702. De Foe, Shortest Way w. Dissenters, in Arb., Garner, VII. 593. How they crope into all Places of Trust and Profit.
1709. Steele, Tatler, No. 61, ¶ 1. Among many Phrases which have crept into Conversation.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, I. 250. Despondency began to creep over their hearts.
1869. Trollope, He knew, etc. liii. (1878), 293. When these sad weeks had slowly crept over her head.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), III. 301. The licence of which you speak very easily creeps in.
b. To move timidly or diffidently; to proceed humbly, abjectly, or servilely, to cringe; to move on a low level, without soaring or aspiring. Cf. CREEPING ppl. a.
1581. Marbeck, Bk. of Notes, 623. So lowe crope they on the ground, that when they heare the name of the Sabboth, they remember nothing but the seauenth day.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 614/1. When they are weary of warres … then they creepe a litle perhaps, and sue for grace.
1685. Dryden, Pref. to Sylvæ, Ess. (Ker), I. 268 (J.). Am I … bound to maintain, that there are no flats amongst his elevations, when ’tis evident he [Milton] creeps along sometimes for above an hundred lines together?
1709. Pope, Ess. Crit., 347. And ten low words oft creep in one dull line. Ibid. (1735), Prol. Sat., 333. Wit that can creep, and pride that licks the dust.
1782. Cowper, Conversation, 145. Where men of judgment creep, and feel their way, The positive pronounce without dismay.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Manners, Wks. (Bohn), II. 46. Don’t creep about diffidently.
1874. Blackie, Self-Cult., 89. Where aspiration is wanting, the soul creeps.
4. Of plants: To grow with the stem and branches extending along the ground, a wall, or other surface, and throwing out roots or claspers at intervals. b. Of roots or subterranean stems: To extend horizontally under ground.
1530. Tindale, Pract. Prelates, Wks. 1849, II. 270. [Ivy] creepeth along by the ground till it find a great tree.
1580. Baret, Alv., C 1597. To creepe, to run as rootes do in the ground, repo.
1672–3. Grew, Anat. Plants, II. I. i. § 9. The Motions of Roots are … sometimes Level, as are those of Hops … and all such as properly Creep.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Georg., IV. 162. Cucumers along the Surface creep.
1717. Pope, Eloisa, 243. Where round some mould’ring tow’r pale ivy creeps.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., vi. Oh, a dainty plant is the Ivy green, That creepeth o’er ruins old!
† c. Said of the ramification of blood-vessels, etc. Obs. Cf. CRAWL v. 4.
1668. Culpepper & Cole, Barthol. Anat., I. xxviii. 67. Those [blood-vessels] which come from above do creep all the womb over.
1774. Goldsm., Nat. Hist. (1776), III. 97. As they [blood-vessels] creep along the side of the branches [of the horns].
d. fig. To extend like a creeping plant.
1856. Stanley, Sinai & Pal., i. (1858), 138. Vineyards creep along the ancient terraces.
1859. Jephson, Brittany, iii. 24. Up this cliff creeps the town, capped by the fine old church of ‘Our Lady.’
5. trans. = creep along or over. rare. (Cf. also creep the cross in 1 c.)
1667. Milton, P. L., VII. 523. And every creeping thing that creeps the ground.
1727. Dyer, Grongar Hill, 78. Whose ragged walls the ivy creeps.
1738. Wesley, Hymns, ‘O Thou whose Wisdom,’ iii. The meanest Worm that creeps the Earth.
1821. Clare, Vill. Minstr., I. 130. Black clouds crept the southern hill.
6. intr. Of the skin or flesh, less usually of the person himself: To have a sensation as of things creeping over the skin; to be affected with a nervous shrinking or shiver (as a result of fear, horror or repugnance).
a. 1300. Cursor M., 3567 (Cott.). Quen þat [he] sua bicums ald … It crepes crouland in his bak.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 2558. Whanne thou wenest for to slepe, So fulle of peyne shalt thou crepe.
1727. Swift, Gulliver, III. vii. 223. Something in their countenances that made my flesh creep with a horror I cannot express.
1840. Dickens, Barn. Rudge, xvii. You make my hair stand on end, and my flesh creep.
1879. G. Meredith, Egoist, xxviii. (1889), 266. He had such an air of saying ‘Tom’s a-cold,’ that her skin crept in sympathy.
1882. Mrs. Raven’s Tempt., I. 310. It makes me quite creep!
7. Naut., etc. To drag with a creeper for anything at the bottom of the water.
1813–4. Act 54 Geo. III., c. 159 § 10. No person … shall … creep or sweep for anchors [etc.] … supposed to be lost in any of the ports.
1830. Marryat, King’s Own, ix. There the cargo is left, until they have an opportunity of going off in boats to creep for it, which is by dragging large hooks at the bottom until they catch the hawser.
1888. T. Hardy, Wessex Tales, II. 143. When they have a chance they’ll go to creep for ’em.
8. Of metal rails, etc.: To move gradually forward under the continuous pressure of heavy traffic in the same direction, or as a result of periodical expansion and contraction on a gradient.
1885. Science, V. 344/2. In some places the rails move longitudinally or ‘creep.’ On long inclines or grades the track may creep down hill.
1887. Engineer, LXIV. 9. Now I have the fish bolts loosened I am threatened with a creeping of the line.
1890. Daily News, 31 Dec., 2/5. The very curious ‘creeping’ action of lead upon a roof was also shown by means of a model…. In the experiment the lead, first heated and then cooled, was made to creep a perceptible space.
9. Coal-mining. To suffer a ‘creep.’
1851. Greenwell, Coal-trade Terms Northumb. & Durh., 19. The softer the thill, the greater the liability to creep.
1861. Trans. N. Eng. Inst. Min. Engineers, IX. 24. [It] had evidently brought on a heavy creep as shown on the section of crept bords.
