crook

1 of 3

verb

ˈkru̇k 

crooked; crooking; crooks

transitive verb

: bend

intransitive verb

: curve, wind

crook

2 of 3

noun

1

: an implement having a bent or hooked form: such as

a

: pothook

b(1)

: a shepherd's staff

(2)

: crosier sense 1

2

: a part of something that is hook-shaped, curved, or bent

the crook of an umbrella handle

3

: bend, curve

4

: a person who engages in fraudulent or criminal practices

crook

3 of 3

adjective

Australia and New Zealand

: not right:

a

: unsatisfactory

b

: dishonest, crooked

c

: irritable, angry

—used especially in the phrase go crook

d

: ill, unwell

Synonyms

Verb

• arch
• bend
• bow
• curve
• hook
• swerve

Noun

• criminal
• culprit
• lawbreaker
• malefactor
• miscreant
• offender

Examples of crook in a Sentence

Verb

He crooked his finger at us and led us to the table.

the road suddenly crooked to the left

Noun

He thinks politicians are just a bunch of crooks.

the crook of his arm

The squirrel sat in the crook of the tree.

the crook of the cane

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

This is the best approach for stars whose characters have crooked, chipped or missing teeth. —Gary Baum, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Aug. 2024

Had the train recently hosted the cast of Cirque du Soleil, perhaps, who insisted on descending head first, arms outstretched, after crooking one knee over the top rung? —Anthony Lane, The New Yorker, 4 May 2020

Noun

Also common are ransomware schemes, where crooks infect victims’ computers and demand payments to unlock the computers and the information stored on them. —Russ Wiles, The Arizona Republic, 20 Oct. 2024

There are plenty of us, certainly more than corrupt judges, lying propagandists, and Kremlin crooks. —Alexei Navalny, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English crok, from Old Norse krōkr hook

Adjective

probably short for crooked

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1898, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing crook

• by hook or by crook
• go crook

Kids Definition

crook

1 of 2 verb

ˈkru̇k 

: bend entry 1 sense 2, curve

crook

2 of 2 noun

1

: a shepherd's staff with one end curved into a hook

2

: a dishonest person (as a thief or swindler)

3

: a curved or hooked part of a thing : bend