† 1. A plant. Obs.
14[?]. Gl. Sloane, 5, in Sax. Leechd., III. 320/2. Crowe pil, acus muscata minor.
1847–78. Halliwell, Crouwepil, the herb crane-bill.
2. Surg. (Also Crow’s bill.) A forceps for extracting bullets or other foreign bodies from wounds.
1611. Cotgr., Bec de corbin … a Chirurgions toole, called a Crowes-bill.
1634. T. Johnson, Parey’s Chirurg., 440. Plucke it out with your crane or crowes bill.
1688. R. Holme, Armoury, III. 400/2. Another Instrument of a Chyrurgion, termed a Crow-Bill.
1880. Browning, Dram. Idylls, Pietro. But who wields the crozier down may fling the crow-bill.
