creep

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See also CREEP

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[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

From Middle English crepen, from Old English crēopan (“to creep, crawl”), from Proto-Germanic *kreupanan (“to twist, creep”), from Proto-Indo-European *ger- (“to turn, wind”). Cognate with Eastern Frisian crjippa (“to creep”), Dutch kruipen (“to creep, crawl”), Middle High German kriefen (“to creep”), Danish krybe (“to creep”), Norwegian krype (“to creep”), Swedish krypa (“to creep, crawl”), Icelandic krjúpa (“to stoop”).

[edit] Pronunciation

[edit] Noun

creep (plural creeps)

  1. The movement of something that creeps (like worms or snails)
  2. A relatively small gradual change, variation or deviation (from a planned value) in a measure.
  3. A slight displacement of an object: the slight movement of something
  4. The gradual expansion or proliferation of something beyond its original goals or boundaries, considered negatively.
    Christmas creep. Feature creep. Instruction creep. Mission creep.
  5. (publishing) In sewn books, the tendency of pages on the inside of a quire to stand out farther than those on the outside of it.
  6. (materials science) An increase in strain with time; the gradual flow or deformation of a material under stress.
  7. (geology) The imperceptible downslope movement of surface rock.
  8. (informal, pejorative) An annoying irritating person
  9. (informal, pejorative) A frightening and/or disconcerting person, especially one who gives the speaker chills or who induces psychosomatic facial itching.
    Stop following me, you creep!
  10. (agriculture) A barrier with small openings used to keep large animals out while allowing smaller animals to pass through.

[edit] Derived terms

gradual expansion or proliferation, negatively

[edit] Translations

movement of something that creeps
small gradual change in a measure
slight displacement
gradual expansion or proliferation, negatively
publishing: tendency of pages inside of a quire to stand out
gradual deformation of material under stress
geology: imperceptible downslope movement of surface
informal: annoyingly unpleasant person
pejorative: frightening or disconcerting person
agriculture: barrier with small openings

[edit] Verb

creep (third-person singular simple present creeps, present participle creeping, simple past crept or creeped, past participle crept, creeped, or archaic cropen)

  1. (intransitive) To move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground.
    Lizards and snakes crept over the ground.
    • 1922, Margery Williams, The Velveteen Rabbit
      One evening, while the Rabbit was lying there alone, watching the ants that ran to and fro between his velvet paws in the grass, he saw two strange beings creep out of the tall bracken near him.
  2. (intransitive) Of plants, to grow across a surface rather than upwards.
  3. (intransitive) To move slowly and quietly in a particular direction.
    He tried to creep past the guard without being seen.
  4. (intransitive) To make small gradual changes, usually in a particular direction.
    Prices have been creeping up all year.

[edit] Synonyms

  • (move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground): crawl
  • (grow across a surface rather than upwards):
  • (move slowly and quietly in a particular direction):
  • (make small gradual changes):

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground
grow across a surface rather than upwards
move slowly and quietly in a particular direction
change or deviate gradually

[edit] Anagrams

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