Hist. or dial. Also 5 crowdere, 6 crouder, -ar, 6–8 crowther. [f. CROWD sb.1 or v.2 + -ER1.] One who plays a crowd; a fiddler.
c. 1450. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 572/26. Choricista, a crowdere.
a. 1533. Ld. Berners, Gold. Bk. M. Aurel. (1546), Ii v. Crouders, dauncers, mummers.
a. 1661. Fuller, Worthies, II. 306. Sung but by some blind Crowder.
1731. A. Hill, Adv. Poets, Ep. 4. To tune his Praise … and expect, like his Brother Crowders, to be paid for his Scraping.
1832. J. Bree, St. Herbert’s Isle, 19. When mute the harp nor wandering crowder near To raise the loftier theme.
