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Synonyms

crook

1 American  
[krook] / krʊk /

noun

  1. a bent or curved implement, piece, appendage, etc.; hook.

  2. the hooked part of anything.

  3. an instrument or implement having a bent or curved part, as a shepherd's staff hooked at one end or the crosier of a bishop or abbot.

  4. a dishonest person, especially a sharper, swindler, or thief.

  5. a bend, turn, or curve.

    a crook in the road.

  6. the act of crooking or bending.

  7. a pothook.

  8. Also called shank.  a device on some musical wind instruments for changing the pitch, consisting of a piece of tubing inserted into the main tube.

verb (used with object)

  1. to bend; curve; make a crook in.

    He crooked a finger to get the waitperson's attention.

  2. Slang. to steal, cheat, or swindle.

    She crooked a ring from that shop.

verb (used without object)

  1. to bend; curve.

    My little toe crooks to the side.
crook 2 American  
[krook] / krʊk /

adjective

Australian.

  1. sick or feeble.

  2. ill-humored; angry.

  3. out of order; functioning improperly.

  4. unsatisfactory; disappointing.

Crook 3 American  
[krook] / krʊk /

noun

  1. George, 1829–90, U.S. general in Indian wars.

crook British  
/ krʊk /

noun

  1. a curved or hooked thing

  2. a staff with a hooked end, such as a bishop's crosier or shepherd's staff

  3. a turn or curve; bend

  4. informal a dishonest person, esp a swindler or thief

  5. the act or an instance of crooking or bending

  6. Also called: shank.  a piece of tubing added to a brass instrument in order to obtain a lower harmonic series

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to bend or curve or cause to bend or curve

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adjective

  1. informal

    1. ill

    2. of poor quality

    3. unpleasant; bad

  2. informal to lose one's temper

  3. informal to rebuke or upbraid

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
crook Idioms  

    More idioms and phrases containing crook

Etymology

Origin of crook1

First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English crok, crouk, from Old Norse krōkr “hook, barb, corner”

Origin of crook2

First recorded in 1875–80; perhaps alteration of cronk

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Hadel fixed her crooked gaze on me until a chill ran up my neck and through my bones.

From Literature

Perhaps the show’s final number can shed light: “God draws straight, but with crooked lines.”

From Los Angeles Times

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds said the waste dumping was "orchestrated by a group of shameless crooks".

From BBC

Harlow smiles again, and her crooked grin is possibly the cutest thing I’ve ever seen.

From Literature

In her hands was a sickle moon, and behind her was an outcrop of spindly red trees with branches that looked like crooked fingers.

From Literature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.