Forms: 4–5 criere, -are, -our, cryour, 5–6 cryar, 6 criar, 5–9 cryer, 4– crier, [ME. criere, a. OF. criere, nom. of crieur, agent-n. f. crier to CRY: see -ER.]
1. gen. One who cries.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. II. 11. Joon was a vois of a Criere in desert.
1593. Nashe, Christ’s T. (1613), 105. You are none of these cryers vnto God.
1748. Richardson, in Four C. Eng. Lett., 196. Simplicity is all their cry; yet hardly do these criers know what they mean by the noble word.
1767. S. Paterson, Another Trav., II. 5. Some will join the cryers-up, and others the cryers-down.
1892. Margaret Deland, in Harper’s Mag., 269/1. You were always a pretty crier, mother.
2. spec. a. An officer in a court of justice who makes the public announcements, acts as preserver of order, etc.
[1292. Britton, I. xxii. § 18. Et des criours, si nul prenge plus qe le establisement de noster estatut.]
c. 1400. Apol. Loll., 8. If a bedel, or criare, schewe þe fre graunt of his lord.
1541. Act 33 Hen. VIII., c. 12 § 19. The saide clerkes … shal … appoint a criar to make proclamacions, and to call the iuries, and to do other thinges as becometh a criar of a court to do.
a. 1633. Austin, Medit. (1635), 195. The Crier goes before the Judge.
1768–74. Tucker, Lt. Nat. (1852), II. 445. Their crier calls out, ‘Make way for the grand jury!’
1882. Serjt. Ballantine, Exper., xvi. 158. A remark made by the crier of the court to a friend.
b. One appointed in a town or community to make public announcements; a COMMON, or TOWN crier.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 247 (Mätz.). A cryour schulde stonde vppon a toure, and … he schulde crie: Calo.
a. 1400. Barlaam & Josaphat, 348. A Crior to stonde þer ate Wiþ a Trompe for to blowe þat alle men mihte hit wel i knowe.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 103/1. Cryar, he þat cryethe yn a merket, or in a feyre, declamator, preco.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Huon, xxvii. 84. Get a cryer and make to be cryed in euery merket place and strete.
1680. Lond. Gaz., No. 1529/4. Whoever can give notice of him to … the City Cryer, they shall be well rewarded.
1726. Leoni, Alberti’s Archit., II. 6 b. All common Cryers were excluded from the Temple.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, II. 265. Repeated by a crier for the benefit of the whole village.
c. One who cries goods for sale: † (a) as auctioneer or agent for others (obs.); (b) as hawker on his own account.
1553. Grimalde, Cicero’s Offices (1556), 107. To put the goodes of the citizens in ye cryers mouthe.
1598. Florio, Incantare … to sell goods by a crier, at who giues most.
1653. H. Cogan, trans. Pinto’s Trav., iv. 8. I was the first that was put to sale; whereupon, just as the Cryer was offering to deliver me unto whomsoever would buy me.
1727. Pope, Art of Sinking, 115. Common cryers and hawkers, who by redoubling the same words persuade people to buy their oysters, green hastings, or new ballads.
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., II. i. The whole ancient family of the London criers.
c. 1850. Arab. Nts. (Rtldg.), 683. He saw a crier going about with a carpet … which he offered to put up for sale.
† 3. ? A kind of small bell used as a call. Obs.
1467. Will of Langewith (Somerset Ho.). A small belle called a cryer.
