Word Study
creep
CIDE DICTIONARY
creep, v. t. [OE. crepen, creopen, AS. cre; akin to D. kruipen, G. kriechen, Icel. krjupa, Sw. krypa, Dan. krybe. Cf. Cripple, Crouch.].
- To move along the ground, or on any other surface, on the belly, as a worm or reptile; to move as a child on the hands and knees; to crawl. [1913 Webster]"Ye that walk
The earth, and stately tread, or lowly creep." [1913 Webster] - To move slowly, feebly, or timorously, as from unwillingness, fear, or weakness. [1913 Webster]"The whining schoolboy . . . creeping, like snail,
Unwillingly to school." [1913 Webster]"Like a guilty thing, I creep." [1913 Webster] - To move in a stealthy or secret manner; to move imperceptibly or clandestinely; to steal in; to insinuate itself or one's self; as, age creeps upon us. [1913 Webster]"The sophistry which creeps into most of the books of argument." [1913 Webster]"Of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women." [1913 Webster]
- To slip, or to become slightly displaced; as, the collodion on a negative, or a coat of varnish, may creep in drying; the quicksilver on a mirror may creep. [1913 Webster]
- To move or behave with servility or exaggerated humility; to fawn; as, a creeping sycophant. [1913 Webster]"To come as humbly as they used to creep." [1913 Webster]
- To grow, as a vine, clinging to the ground or to some other support by means of roots or rootlets, or by tendrils, along its length. Dryden. [1913 Webster]
- To have a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin of the body; to crawl; as, the sight made my flesh creep. See Crawl,
v. i. , 4. [1913 Webster] - To drag in deep water with creepers, as for recovering a submarine cable. [1913 Webster]
creep, n.
- The act or process of creeping. [1913 Webster]
- A distressing sensation, or sound, like that occasioned by the creeping of insects. [1913 Webster]"A creep of undefinable horror." [1913 Webster]"Out of the stillness, with gathering creep,
Like rising wind in leaves." [1913 Webster] - A slow rising of the floor of a gallery, occasioned by the pressure of incumbent strata upon the pillars or sides; a gradual movement of mining ground. [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
creep, v. & n.
--v.intr. (past and past part. crept)
1 move with the body prone and close to the ground; crawl.
2 (often foll. by in, out, up, etc.) come, go, or move slowly and stealthily or timidly (crept out without being seen).
3 enter slowly (into a person's affections, life, awareness, etc.) (a feeling crept over her; crept into her heart).
4 colloq. act abjectly or obsequiously in the hope of advancement.
5 (of a plant) grow along the ground or up a wall by means of tendrils etc.
6 (as creeping adj.) developing slowly and steadily (creeping inflation).
7 (of the flesh) feel as if insects etc. were creeping over it, as a result of fear, horror, etc.
8 (of metals etc.) undergo creep.
--n.
1 a the act of creeping. b an instance of this.
2 (in pl.; prec. by the) colloq. a nervous feeling of revulsion or fear (gives me the creeps).
3 sl. an unpleasant person.
4 the gradual downward movement of disintegrated rock due to gravitational forces etc.
5 (of metals etc.) a gradual change of shape under stress.
6 a low arch under a railway embankment, road, etc.
--v.intr. (past and past part. crept)
1 move with the body prone and close to the ground; crawl.
2 (often foll. by in, out, up, etc.) come, go, or move slowly and stealthily or timidly (crept out without being seen).
3 enter slowly (into a person's affections, life, awareness, etc.) (a feeling crept over her; crept into her heart).
4 colloq. act abjectly or obsequiously in the hope of advancement.
5 (of a plant) grow along the ground or up a wall by means of tendrils etc.
6 (as creeping adj.) developing slowly and steadily (creeping inflation).
7 (of the flesh) feel as if insects etc. were creeping over it, as a result of fear, horror, etc.
8 (of metals etc.) undergo creep.
--n.
1 a the act of creeping. b an instance of this.
2 (in pl.; prec. by the) colloq. a nervous feeling of revulsion or fear (gives me the creeps).
3 sl. an unpleasant person.
4 the gradual downward movement of disintegrated rock due to gravitational forces etc.
5 (of metals etc.) a gradual change of shape under stress.
6 a low arch under a railway embankment, road, etc.
Idiom
creeping barrage a barrage moving ahead of advancing troops. creeping Jenny any of various creeping plants, esp. moneywort. creeping Jesus sl. an abject or hypocritical person. creep up on approach (a person) stealthily or unnoticed.
Etymology
OE creopan f. Gmc
THESAURUS
creep
SOB, all fours, amble, andante, bastard, bend the knee, bootlick, bow, bow and scrape, bugger, claudicate, claudication, couch, cower, crawl, crawling, creeping, cringe, crouch, dead march, dogtrot, drag, drag along, drag on, drag out, fart, fawn, feel creepy, feel funny, flatter, footpace, funeral march, go dead slow, go on, go on tiptoe, go slow, grovel, gumshoe, gumshoeing, have gooseflesh, have the creeps, heel, hobble, hood, hooligan, idle, inch, inch along, jerk, jog, jog trot, jog-trot, kneel, kowtow, lay wait, laze, leisurely gait, lick the dust, lickspittle, lie in wait, limp, linger, linger on, louse, lumbering pace, lurk, meanie, mincing steps, mosey, mother, nightwalk, nightwalking, pad, padding, pill, plod, poke, poke along, prowl, prowling, pussyfoot, pussyfooting, rack, rat, saunter, scrabble, scramble, shadow, shamble, shit, shithead, shitheel, shuffle, shuffle along, sidle, sidling, skulk, slink, slinking, slither, slouch, slow march, slow motion, snake, snaking, sneak, sneaking, squirm, stagger along, stalk, steal, steal along, stealing, stinkard, stinker, stoop, stroll, tarry, tippytoe, tiptoe, tiptoeing, toadeat, toady, toddle, toddle along, totter along, traipse, truckle, trudge, turd, waddle, walk, wear on, wiggle, worm, worm along, worming, wriggleROGET THESAURUS
creep
Slowness
VB move slowly, creep, crawl, lag, slug, drawl, linger, loiter, saunter, plod, trudge, stump along, lumber, trail, drag, dawdle, grovel, worm one's way, steal along, job on, rub on, bundle on, toddle, waddle, wabble, slug, traipse, slouch, shuffle, halt, hobble, limp, caludicate, shamble, flag, falter, trotter, stagger, mince, step short, march in slow time, march in funeral procession, take one's time, hang fire, retard, relax, slacken, check, moderate, rein in, curb, reef, strike sail, shorten sail, take in sail, put on the drag, apply the brake, clip the wings, reduce the speed, slacken speed, slacken one's pace, lose ground.Sensations of Touch
VB itch, tingle, creep, thrill, sting, prick, prickle, tickle, titillate.For further exploring for "creep" in Webster Dictionary Online
