adj · name · noun · verb · 26 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
CMU ARPABET:K R UH1 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Bad, unsatisfactory, not up to standard.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, slang
Examples
That work you did on my car is crook, mate.
Not turning up for training was pretty crook.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
adj
Meaning 2
Ill, sick.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, slang
Examples
I′m feeling a bit crook.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adj
Meaning 3
Annoyed, angry; upset.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Australia, New-Zealand, slang
Examples
be crook at/about; go crook at
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
name
Meaning 4
A town (unparished) in County Durham, England (OS grid ref NZ1635).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
name
Meaning 5
A village and civil parish (served by Crook and Winster Parish Council) in Westmorland and Furness, Cumbria, England, previously in South Lakeland district (OS grid ref SD4695).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
6
name
Meaning 6
A statutory town in Logan County, Colorado, United States, named after George Crook.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
name
Meaning 7
An unincorporated community in Osage County, Missouri, United States, so named because of a local merchant's business practices (thus being derived from crook (thief)).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
name
Meaning 8
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
She held the baby in the crook of her arm.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
10
noun
Meaning 10
A bending of the knee; a genuflection.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
11
noun
Meaning 11
A bent or curved part; a curving piece or portion (of anything).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
the crook of a cane
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
12
noun
Meaning 12
A person who steals, lies, cheats, or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal; a scoundrel, scofflaw, lawbreaker, rogue, or miscreant.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Examples
1973 November 17, Richard Nixon, reported 1973 November 18, The Washington Post, Nixon Tells Editors, ‘I'm Not a Crook’, "People have got to know whether or not their President is a crook. Well, I′m not a crook. I′ve earned everything I′ve got."
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
13
noun
Meaning 13
A lock or curl of hair.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
14
noun
Meaning 14
A support beam consisting of a post with a cross-beam resting upon it; a bracket or truss consisting of a vertical piece, a horizontal piece, and a strut.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
15
noun
Meaning 15
A specialized staff with a semi-circular bend (a "hook") at one end used by shepherds to control their herds.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
16
noun
Meaning 16
A bishop's standard staff of office.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
17
noun
Meaning 17
An artifice; a trick; a contrivance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
18
noun
Meaning 18
A pothook.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
19
noun
Meaning 19
A small tube, usually curved, applied to a trumpet, horn, etc., to change its pitch or key.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: entertainment, lifestyle, music
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
20
verb
Meaning 20
To bend, or form into a hook.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
He crooked his finger toward me.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
21
verb
Meaning 21
To become bent or hooked.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
22
verb
Meaning 22
To turn from the path of rectitude; to pervert; to misapply; to twist.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
23
noun
Meaning 23
a long staff with one end being hook shaped
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: shepherd's crook
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: staff
24
noun
Meaning 24
someone who has committed a crime or has been legally convicted of a crime
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: criminal, felon, outlaw, malefactor
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: principal
Narrower terms: accessory, accessary, arsonist, incendiary, firebug, blackmailer, extortioner, extortionist, bootlegger, moonshiner, briber, suborner, conspirator, coconspirator, plotter, machinator, desperado, desperate criminal, fugitive, fugitive from justice, gangster, mobster, highbinder, highjacker, hijacker, hood, hoodlum, goon, punk, thug, tough, toughie, strong-armer, jail bird, jailbird, gaolbird, kidnapper, kidnaper, abductor, snatcher, mafioso, moll, gun moll, gangster's moll, murderer, liquidator, manslayer, probationer, parolee, pusher, drug peddler, peddler, drug dealer, drug trafficker, racketeer, raper, rapist, recidivist, repeater, habitual criminal, scofflaw, smuggler, runner, contrabandist, moon curser, moon-curser, thief, stealer, traitor, treasonist, violator, lawbreaker, law offender, Bonney, William H. Bonney, Billie the Kid, James, Jesse James, MacGregor, Robert MacGregor, Rob Roy
25
noun
Meaning 25
a circular segment of a curve
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
a bend in the road
a crook in the path
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bend, twist, turn
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: curve, curved shape
Narrower terms: bight
26
verb
Meaning 26
bend or cause to bend
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
He crooked his index finger
the road curved sharply
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: curve
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: bend, flex
Narrower terms: recurve
History
Etymology
From crooked (“dishonestly come by”).
* The English surname is derived from the noun crook (“bend, hook”). * The places in Durham and Cumbria are of Brythonic origin, from crug (“hill, mound”).
From Middle English croke, crok, from Old English *crōc (“hook, bend, crook”), from Proto-West Germanic *krōk, from Proto-Germanic *krōkaz (“bend, hook”), from Proto-Indo-European *greg- (“tracery, basket, bend”). Cognate with Dutch kreuk (“a bend, fold, wrinkle”), Middle Low German kroke, krake (“fold, wrinkle”), Danish krog (“crook, hook”), Swedish krok (“crook, hook”), Icelandic krókur (“hook”). Compare typologically Czech křivák (< křivý < Proto-Slavic *krivъ, whence also *krivьda).
From Middle English crooken, croken, crokien, from Old English *crōcian, from Proto-West Germanic *krōkōn (“to bend, wrinkle”), from the noun (see above). Cognate with Dutch kreuken (“to crease, rumple”), German Low German kröken (“to bend, offend, suppress”).
Across languages
Translations
127 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Azerbaijani:
fırıldaqçı
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Azerbaijani:
aferist
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Azerbaijani:
julik
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Bulgarian:
кра́дец
(krádec)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Chinese Mandarin:
騙子 /骗子
(piànzi)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Czech:
podvodník
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Czech:
křivák
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Czech:
podrazák
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Czech:
darebák
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
oplichter
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
oplichtster
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
zwendelaar
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
zwendelaarster
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
afzetter
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
afzetster
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
bedrieger
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Dutch:
bedriegster
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Esperanto:
fikomercisto
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Esperanto:
fripono
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Finnish:
rikollinen
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Finnish:
konna
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
French:
escroc
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
French:
arnaqueur
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
German:
Gauner
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
German:
Ganove
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Greek:
απατεώνας
(apateónas)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Icelandic:
glæpamaður
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Icelandic:
þorpari
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Indonesian:
maling
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Indonesian:
bajingan
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Irish:
bithiúnach
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Italian:
furfante
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Italian:
ladro
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Italian:
truffatore
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Japanese:
詐欺師
(sagishi)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Macedonian:
кра́дец
(krádec)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Norwegian Bokmål:
skurk
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Plautdietsch:
Vebräakja
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Portuguese:
ladrão
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Portuguese:
ladra
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Russian:
вор
(vor)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Russian:
плут
(plut)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Russian:
моше́нник
(mošénnik)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Russian:
жу́лик
(žúlik)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Serbo-Croatian:
ло́пов
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Serbo-Croatian:
lópov
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Slovene:
lopov
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
ladrón
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
ladrona
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
ratero
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
ratera
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
truhán
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
truhana
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Spanish:
maleante
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Swedish:
skurk
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Yiddish:
זשוליק
(zhulik)
— a criminal who steals, lies, cheats or does other dishonest or illegal things
Bulgarian:
гега
(gega)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Czech:
pastýřská hůl
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Dutch:
herdersstaf
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Finnish:
käyräsauva
— specialized staff used by shepherds
French:
houlette
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Galician:
caxato
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Georgian:
კავი
(ḳavi)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Georgian:
კაუჭი
(ḳauč̣i)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
German:
Krücke
— specialized staff used by shepherds
German:
Krückstock
— specialized staff used by shepherds
German:
Hirtenstab
— specialized staff used by shepherds
German:
Krummstab
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Greek:
γκλίτσα
(gklítsa)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Ancient Greek:
καλαῦροψ
(kalaûrops)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Ancient Greek:
χαῖος
(khaîos)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Icelandic:
hirðingjastafur
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Irish:
crúca
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Irish:
bachall
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Irish:
caimín
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Irish:
camóg
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Italian:
pastorale
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Italian:
vincastro
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Korean:
크루
(keuru)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Latin:
pedum
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Latin:
agolum
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Macedonian:
кр́лук
(kŕluk)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Macedonian:
кри́вак
(krívak)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Macedonian:
ге́га
(géga)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Portuguese:
cajado
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Russian:
по́сох
(pósox)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Scottish Gaelic:
bachall
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Sicilian:
croccu
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Sicilian:
vastuni
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Spanish:
cayado
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Swedish:
herdestav
— specialized staff used by shepherds
Ottoman Turkish:
چوبان دكنكی
(çoban değeneği)
— specialized staff used by shepherds
