(krō)

(vertebrate zoology) The common name for a number of predominantly black birds in the genus Corvus comprising the most advanced members of the family Corvidae.


crow

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Carrion crow (Corvus corone corone).
(click to enlarge)
Carrion crow (Corvus corone corone). (credit: Eric Hosking)
Any of more than 20 species of black perching birds ( passerine) of the genus Corvus (family Corvidae) that are smaller than most ravens and have a thinner bill. They are named for the sound of their call. Common crows are found in North America and Eurasia. They eat grain, berries, insects, carrion, and the eggs of other birds. Crows may damage grain crops, but they also eat many economically harmful insects. At times tens of thousands roost together, but most species do not nest in colonies. Crows are considered the most intelligent of all birds (tool use is documented), and pet crows can be taught to imitate speech.

For more information on crow, visit Britannica.com.

verb

  1. To talk with excessive pride: boast, brag, gasconade, rodomontade, vaunt. Informal blow. See praise/blame.
  2. To feel or express an uplifting joy over a success or victory: exult, glory, jubilate, triumph. See happy/unhappy.

Idioms beginning with crow:
crow over

In addition to the idiom beginning with crow, also see as the crow flies; eat crow.

Generally regarded as unlucky, and as omens of death, especially if they croak persistently near a house, or fly low over its roof. Occasionally, the number of crows seen at once is important, as with magpies; in Leeds in the 1860s it was said ‘When one crow is seen, it is a sign of bad luck; two, of good luck; three, of death; and four, of a wedding’ (Opie and Tatem, 1989: 111; Roud, 2003: 127).

The several species of the large, raucous bird with glossy black plumage (genus Corvus) are often cited in Celtic narratives and usually have associations with war and death. The hooded or grey crow (genus Corvus cornex), carrion crow (Corvus corone), rook (Corvus frugilegus), and raven (genus Corvus corax) are not always perceived separately. Several figures take the form of the crow, including the Irish goddesses Badb, Mórrígan, and Macha. When she perches on the shoulder of the dying Cúchulainn, Mórrígan takes the form of a hooded crow. The crow-goddess Cathubodua was an ancient Continental patroness of battle. Cornu, a great black bird that may or may not have been a crow, was sent to St Patrick's Purgatory. The Welsh Brân means crow; the Irish Fuinche means scald-crow, Morfran means great crow. The killing of a crow in winter, the spilling of blood on the snow, introduces the black-white-red motif that sends such lovers as Peredur and Conchobar on their quests. Modern Irish for crow is préachán or feannóg; hooded crow, feannóg dubh. Scottish Gaelic for crow is feannag; Manx craue, fannag; Welsh brân Cornish brān, cana; Breton kavan.

crow, partially migratory black bird, genus Corvus, of the same family as the raven, the magpie, the jay, and the rook and the jackdaw of Europe. The American, or common, crow, C. brachyrhynchos, about 19 in. (49 cm) long, has a wingspread of over 3 ft (92 cm). Crows eat some eggs and nestlings and grain, but destroy many harmful insects and rodents. In winter they gather at night by thousands in communal roosts. Their throaty "caw" is familiar, although they can also produce a musical warble. Crows, along with the other members of the family Corvidae, are considered to be the most intelligent of all birds. They are easily tamed and can learn to mimic some human sounds. The New Caledonian crow, C. moneduloides, is especially noted for its intelligence with respect to tools and toolmaking; it can use sticks, wire, string, and other objects as tools and can reshape them so that the object is better suited to a specific use. The fish crow, C. ossifragus, of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts is smaller than the common crow. The carrion crow, C. corone, of Eurasia is a flesh-eating bird 18 to 20 in. (46-51 cm) long. Crows are classified in the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrata, class Aves, order Passeriformes, family Corvidae.


The cawing of a crow is said to be an omen of evil. Another superstition claims that if a crow croaks an odd number of times, the weather will be bad; if even, the weather will be fine. In general, the crow has been considered a messenger of death since ancient times.

A bird in the genus corvus.

  • c. pick — predatory gouging of eyes and other soft tissues from sick or weak lambs by crows. Wounds often infected with gas gangrene organisms.
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Crow (multiple meanings)

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Crow, species of birds of the genus Corvus, known as male ravens.

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Dansk (Danish)
1.
n. - krage, ravn, kælling

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    i fugleflugtslinje
  • crow's feet    smilerynker
  • crow's nest    udkigstønde, navigationsrum i formasten

2.
v. intr. - gale, juble, hovere
n. - hanegal, jubelskrig

1.
n. - crowindianer, crowsprog
adj. - crowindiansk

2.
n. - stjernebilledet Corvus

Nederlands (Dutch)
(ge)kraai, zwartrok, oud/lelijk wijf, voetangel, jubelkreet, kraaien, jubelen over andermans leed, opscheppen

Français (French)
1.
n. - corbeau, corneille

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    à vol d'oiseau
  • crow's feet    patte d'oie
  • crow's nest    nid de corneilles

2.
v. intr. - exulter, gazouiller (bébé), chanter (coq)
n. - chant du coq, gazouillis (d'un bébé)

1.
n. - (US) Sioux (Est du Montana), (Ling) sioux (Est du Montana)
adj. - des Indiens (de l'Est du Montana)

2.
n. - constellation, Corvus

Deutsch (German)
1.
n. - Krähe, Luftlinie

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    in der Luftlinie
  • crow's feet    Krähenfüsse
  • crow's nest    Krähennest

2.
v. - krähen, frohlocken über
n. - Krähen

1.
n. - Krähenindianer, Crow
adj. - Crow..

2.
n. - (Astr) Rabe (südl. Sternbild)

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - κρωγμός, λάλημα (πετεινού), (ορνιθ.) κουρούνα, κορώνη, χαρούμενη κραυγή, (μηχαν.) λοστάρι, ασχημόγρια
v. - κράζω, κρώζω, (για πετεινούς) λαλώ, (μτφ.) θριαμβολογώ

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    σε ευθεία γραμμή, με ευθεία κίνηση ή πτήση
  • crow's feet    (μτφ.) ρυτίδες στην άκρη των ματιών
  • crow's nest    (ναυτ.) κόφα, παρατηρητήριο στο κατάρτι σκάφους

Italiano (Italian)
gracchiare, fare gridolini di gioia, corvo

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    in linea d'aria
  • crow's feet    zampe di gallina
  • crow's nest    coffa

Português (Portuguese)
n. - corno (m), cacarejo (m) de galo, pé-de-cabra (m) (Mús.)
v. - cantar (de alegria), vangloriar-se

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    em linha reta
  • crow's feet    pés (m pl) de galinha
  • crow's nest    atalaia (f), vigia (f) (em local elevado)

Русский (Russian)
кукарекать, радостно вскрикивать, ворона

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    по прямой
  • crow's feet    морщинки в уголках глаз
  • crow's nest    наблюдательный пункт на вышке

Español (Spanish)
1.
n. - corneja, cuervo, grajo

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    en línea recta
  • crow's feet    pata de gallo, abrojo
  • crow's nest    torre de vigía, atalaya

2.
v. intr. - cantar, cacarear, balbucear
n. - corneja, cuervo, grajo

1.
n. - tribu india del este de Montana, lenguaje de la tribu crow
adj. - relativo a los indios crow

2.
n. - constelación del Cuervo

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - kråka, kofot, galande, joller
v. - gala, jollra, jubla högt, stoltsera

中文(简体)(Chinese (Simplified))
1. 鸦, 乌鸦, 乌鸦座, 撬棍

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    笔直地
  • crow's feet    眼角皱纹, 眼角鱼尾纹
  • crow's nest    守望楼, 岗亭

2. 啼, 报晓, 欢呼, 欢叫, 发格格声, 得意扬扬, 幸灾乐祸, 啼叫声, 报晓声, 欢呼声, 欢叫声

中文(繁體)(Chinese (Traditional))
1.
v. intr. - 啼, 報曉, 歡呼, 歡叫, 發格格聲, 得意揚揚, 幸災樂禍
n. - 啼叫聲, 報曉聲, 歡呼聲, 歡叫聲

2.
n. - 鴉, 烏鴉, 烏鴉座, 撬棍

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    筆直地
  • crow's feet    眼角皺紋, 眼角魚尾紋
  • crow's nest    守望樓, 崗亭

한국어 (Korean)
1.
n. - 까마귀, 흑인, 기장의 독수리표

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    일직선으로

2.
v. intr. - 수탉이 울다, 의기양양해지다
n. - 수탉의 울음소리, 아기의 까르륵 거리는 웃음

1.
n. - 크로 사람 (아메리카 원주민의 한 종족), 크로 말
adj. - 크로 사람의

2.
n. - 까마귀 자리

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 雄鶏の鳴き声, 喜びの声, カラス, からす座, クロー語, クロー族, 烏
v. - 鳴く, 歓声を上げる, 声をあげる

idioms:

  • as the crow flies    直線距離にして

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) غراب (فعل) صاح كالغراب, شمت, ابتهج‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮עורב, קריאת תרנגול, אישה בייחוד זקנה ומכוערת (מדוברת)‬
v. intr. - ‮התרברב, קרקר, קרא, קרא קריאת שמחה (תינוק), הביע סיפוק‬
n. - ‮קריאת שמחה של תינוק, מוט-הרמה‬
n. - ‮שפת הסיו, בן שבט הסיו בצפון המערב התיכון של ארה"ב‬
adj. - ‮של שבט הסיו‬
n. - ‮קבוצת כוכבים, אחד משנים-עשר המזלות‬


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