cruck

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kɹʌk/

• Audio (Southern England)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌk

Etymology 1

Perhaps from a dialectal variant of crutch or crook.

Noun

cruck (plural crucks)

1. (architecture) A sturdy timber with a curve or angle used for primary framing of a timber house, usually used in pairs.
   • 1952: To construct such a house, it is necessary to select an oak with a branch growing out at an angle of about 45°; the upper part of the tree, above the fork, having been cut off, the trunk and branch are roughly squared and divided in half . If the two halves are then placed opposite one another, with the branch ends pegged together, they constitute what was usually known as a 'cruck' or, more correctly, 'a pair of crucks'. — L.F. Salzman, Building in England, p. 195.
   • 2023 March 22, Philip Haigh, “Five configuration stages to boost Manchester rail capacity”, in RAIL, number 979, page 31:

     Historic England explained the listing: "The station's unique design employs a high level of sophistication and innovation through its use of conoid shells supported on a cruck-like frame, which not only create a dramatic aesthetic form, but endow the building with a light and spacious interior."

Derived terms

• cruck-frame
• cruck-truss

Verb

cruck (third-person singular simple present crucks, present participle crucking, simple past and past participle crucked)

1. (dialectal, transitive) To make lame.

Etymology 2

From blend of car +‎ truck.

Noun

cruck (plural crucks)

1. A vehicle that has features of both a car and a truck.
   • 2010, Michael Thoreau, Oh Brother, Why?:

     It was a car/truck. The cab had two seats like a car and the back had a flat cut out for cargo like a truck. People used to call it a 'Cruck'.

   • 2011, Karl J. Stenstrom, The Low Road:

     It was a half car, half truck. I christened it the “Cruck”.