/cruise/definition

/cruise/

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: kruːz. 

-) Etymology: Dutch kruisen (move crosswise or in a zigzag, cruise), from kruis (cross), from Latin crux.

-) Intransitive: 1. To sail to and fro without a set destination, in search of something, for protection, for plunder, for pleasure, etc.

-) Translation: croiser, in French; navegar de una parte a otra sin rumbo determinado, in Spanish; incrociare, in Italian.

… except two sloops, with which they cruised sometimes a great distance off to the north, as far as the Arabian Gulf.

Defoe… A New Voyage… 1725

 We cruised to the southward of the Cape, and made one or two captures; but they were of little consequence.

Marryat… Frank Mildmay 1829

The ship Anne, Captain Gray, was out three years, and during that period she never entered a civilised port. She had touched twice at this bay, and had cruised four months on the coast of Japan, off Timor, through the Sandwich and Friendly Islands…

Earle… New Zealand… 1832

… we found ourselves about the station indicated by Glass, and cruised for three days in that neighbourhood without finding any traces of the islands he had mentioned.

Poe… The Narrative… 1838

He might easily have been taken if they had really desired his capture, for, with his usual recklessness, he boldly put out from the port of Dunbar in a coble, and occasionally in a sixoared boat, and cruised from place to place along the coast at his pleasure…

Agnes Strickland… Queens of Scotland… 1856

After much talk, we decided that the best plan would be that I should despatch a cipher telegram next morning from a French port to tell them to send the four second-rate boats to cruise off the North of Ireland and West of Scotland.

Doyle… Danger! and Other Stories… 1918

-) 2. Hence: -) a. (Of someone) to go at cruising speed while driving an aircraft or an automobile; to go wandering, to travel about at random while driving. Particularly: (of a taxi) to travel at cruising speed and at random (for a fare). -) b. (Of a bird) to fly at cruising speed and at random.

-) With adverb “about”: (redundant construction)

-) 3. Slang: to drive or walk about certain streets or areas, looking for a casual companion for sexual intercourse.

-) Transitive: 1. To sail to and fro over; to cruise over or about.

At last he contrived to purchase and man a galleot, with which he cruised the waters of the Levant, where his intimate acquaintance with all the coasts and islands enabled him to seize and dispose of many prizes. 

Lane-Poole… The Story… 1890

-) 2. Slang: to drive or walk about (certain streets or areas), looking for a casual companion for sexual intercourse; to have such an intercourse with (a person) after driving or walking in that manner.

-) Words derived from the verb CRUISE: cruiser, cruising, cruise (n.)

 

 

/craven/definition

/craven/

-) Adjective.

-) Pronunciation and accent: kreɪv(ə)n.

-) Etymology: of uncertain origin. Maybe from Old French cravant, present participle of crever “to cause to burst”, from Latin crepare “to break, crack”.

-) 1. (Documented since 1200) vanquished. Now only in the phrase “to cry craven” (documented since 1600): to acknowledge oneself vanquished; to surrender.

"Do you repent the bargain you have made?" said the Swiss; "if so, cry craven, and return in safety.

Scott… Anne of Geierstein… 1829

And the conditions of the battle are these; if the appellee slay the appellant, or force him to cry 'craven,' or make good his defense until the stars be seen in heaven, then shall he, the appellee, be acquitted of the murder.

Herbert… Wager of Battle… 1855

-) 2. (Documented since 1400) that acknowledges himself afraid of his antagonist. Hence: a. (Of a person) cowardly, wanting in courage, pusillanimous, timorous. b. (Of a thing) proceeding from cowardice.

-) Antonyms: courageous, daring, fearless, intrepid, fearless, dauntless, valiant, audacious.

-) Synonyms for “craven”: timid, fearful, cowardly, shy, timid.

-) Translation: poltron, in French; cobarde, in Spanish; codardo, in Italian.

 There was craven fear in his face.

Bindloss… Thrice Armed… 1908

-) As a noun: a person who acknowledges himself coward.

-) Synonyms: coward, poltroom, dastard.

[…] that a craven might turn hero as he listened.

The Metropolitan Magazine… 1841

-) Words derived from the adjective “craven”: cravenly, craven (verb for “make craven or cowardly”).

 

/crave/synonyms

/crave/

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation: kreɪv. 

-) Etymology: Old English crafian.

-) Preterite tense: craved (kreɪvd). Preterite participle: craved.

-) Present participle: craving.

-) Transitively: 1. Obsolete acceptation: to ask authoritatively.

-) 2. Hardly documented: to ask cravingly or earnestly to be given; to make request for (an alienable thing)

The Spanish cavaliers craved from the Indians of the South their lands and their gold.

The Works of Hubert… 1874

-) 3. To ask cravingly or earnestly to be done, accomplished, granted, permitted, etc.; to make request for (a doable thing represented by a noun, or an infinitive, or [rarely] a clause introduced by the conjunction THAT)

-) Synonyms for the verb “crave”: ask, entreat; beseech.

There was a brief bustle in the mansion, and Foster, with his downward look and sullen manner, entered the apartment to say, “That Master Richard Varney was arrived from my lord, having ridden all night, and craved to speak with her ladyship instantly.”

Scott… Kenilworth… 1821

The lady was however frightened, and going towards the lad, craved to know wherefore he had made such an unearthly outcry.

John Galt… Spaewife… 1823

I must crave his pardon for having made him the subject of a kind of experiment.

Irving… Tales of a traveller… 1824

I crave your company back to the hill.

Banim… The Denounced… 1830

I crave pardon for what may seem my uncourteous delay.

Grattan… Jacqueline of Holland… 1831

Marian, may I crave a few words with you?

Egan… Robin Hood… 1840

As this may appear a somewhat paradoxical opinion, we crave leave to offer our reasons in support of it.

The Edinburgh Review… 1840

I remember well that both the coachman and the guard, when they had deposited me and my luggage, and kicked at the gate to let the porter know some one craved admittance, made me a sort of demi-bow, and touched the brims of their hats.

Hood’s Magazine… 1844

The only favor they craved, was, that they might have an interpreter who understood both languages.

Farnham… Adventures in California… 1844

On some future occasion, I will crave permission to examine your library and its manuscript treasures.

Ainsworth… Mervyn… 1858

-) With the preposition “of”, or “from”, + noun of the person being asked to do something or participate in something:

[…] he would go into England and crave pardon of him.

Scott… Provincial… 1826

I consider fowls would be very desirable for weakly women — they being very cheap in India — as they often craved them from me.

Swinton… Journal… 1859

Leonard, I am going to crave a favour of you. Do not send Eldred Sloam away.

Wood… The Argosy… 1882

A servant came up to Mr. Hastings as he was crossing the hall, and said an applicant at the door craved speech of him.

Wood… The Shadow… 1907

-) 4. Hardly documented: to ask cravingly or earnestly to be told; to make request for (a tellable thing.)

He […] craved my name. But when I declared my name was Random, he exclaimed in a rapture, 'How! Rory Random?' The same, I replied, looking at him with astonishment.

Smollett… Roderick Random… 1748

May I crave of you, Sir Knight, how you became concerned in this affair?"

Scott… The Talisman… 1825

What was it? tell it! tell it!:' craved Lady Dorcas.

Banim… The Denounced… 1830

until I have craved of you the name of him who has thus ventured to defame me.

Simms… The Scout… 1854

-) 5. Abusively: to want; to desire.

"Why, you, you, you, it was you who craved to be alone with Willoughby!" her father shouted.

Meredith… The Egoist… 1879

And now there was no one she craved to see.

Humphry Ward… Eleanor… 1900

"I can understand," said Henry, "why the animals should come here after the salt, since they crave salt just as we do, but it seems strange to me that salt water should be running out of the ground here, hundreds of miles from the sea."

Altsheler… The Young Trailers… 1907

I knew very well that he desired me for his solace and delight, as other men have done and still do: but to be craved is one thing and to be loved is another thing.

Hewlett… The Ruinous Face… 1909

-) 6. Hardly documented: to ask (a person) cravingly or earnestly for a thing or to do something.

[…] craved me for mercy.

Scott… The Monastery… 1820

-) 7. Abusively: (of a thing) to need.

[…] and wearied limbs craved rest.

F. Palmer, A. Forrester… The wanderings… 1846

-) Intransitively: (it is an abusive use) to desire; --with preposition “for”, or “after” + noun.

[…] the land below the cocoa-nut trees was now distinguishable, and they anticipated that the next day they could land and procure the water which they now so craved for.

Marryat… The Phantom Ship… 1839

-) English words derived from the verb CRAVE: craving, cravingly, cravingness, craver.

 

/cram/synonyms

/cram/

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation: kræm.

-) Etymology: from Old English crammian, with the original meaning of “to press close together”.

-) Third-person singular simple present: crams.

-) Preterite tense, preterite participle: crammed.

-) Present participle: cramming.

-) Transitively: 1. To fill (a receptacle) with something that is forced, compressed or improperly put.

-) Synonym for “cram”: stuff.

-) Translation: henchir, in Spanish; remplir, in French; stipare, in Italian.

Although the charge for admission was a hundred dollars, the hall where she appeared was always crammed to the doors.

Wyndham… Montez… 1935

-) With the preposition “with” + a noun (what is forced, compressed or improperly put):

His pockets, they say, are continually crammed with keys.

Richardson… Clarissa… 1748

[…] the king of Bengal, with a powerful fleet and army, invaded the Maldives, conquered and killed their king, ransacked and plundered the islands, and, having crammed his ships with an immense booty, sailed back to Bengal.

Chambers's Edinburgh Journal, 1852

His place of work is anything but large, and movement is rendered somewhat inconvenient, moreover, by a number of heavy presses, crammed to repletion with the costumes of the establishment.

Sala… Gaslight and Daylight… 1859

My pockets are crammed with spectacles.

Trollope… The Last Chronicle… 1879

-) Hyperbolically: to feed (an animal) excessively; to overfeed.

[…] they tried the experiment of cramming [… the birds] with ground corn, and found that it succeeded admirably. The pintadas, […] became as fat as ducks.

Mavor… Voyages and travels… 1797

The curious group of birds called the chatterers, are famous for their enormous appetites, as one species is said to have gorged itself with apples […]; and another (the European waxwing) was found to have crammed itself with […] berries till it could scarcely fly.

Jane Loudon… Facts… 1848

A pig once made its way into the courtyard of a lordly mansion, sauntered at its will around the stables and the kitchen, wallowed in filth, crammed itself full of pigwash.

Good Words… 1868

-) 2. To force, compress or put improperly (anything) into a space or receptacle.

-) Synonyms: to force, crowd, stuff.

-) Translation: meter impropiamente, in Spanish; entasser, in French; stipare, in Italian.

His hat was crammed down now.

Galsworthy… Beyond… 1917

He got out his pipe, filled it and crammed down the tobacco, found a match and leaned back, smoking with relish, one leg thrown over the wheel.

B. Bower… Casey Ryan… 1921

-) With the preposition “into” + noun of the space or of the receptacle:

A single house here, and not a large one, frequently receives a hundred and twenty people to sleep in a night: five or six beds are crammed into each room, and five or six people into each bed.

Richard Ayton… A voyage round Great Britain… 1815

I took the papers, and crammed them into my valise.

Chambers's Edinburgh Journal… 1852

I suffered from thirst… we had nothing to drink. I crammed the clean snow into my mouth; but the process of melting was slow and tantalizing to a parched throat…

John Tyndall… The Glaciers … 1860

… at different times on searching the corners of the house, they found various parcels of bank notes. Some were crammed into the crevices of the wall.

Dickens… Our Mutual Friend… 1864

Meal, butter, cheese, beef, and bacon, were crammed indiscriminately into sacks, with articles of wearing apparel, and the blankets, and the webs of cloth and linen which the thrifty housewife had prepared for her household.

Thomas Lauder… Tales of the Highlands 1841

The smoking room was a temporary erection on the main deck […]. It might have accommodated five and twenty comfortably; but when it was wet and stormy, I have seen double that number crammed into it.

Mackay… The Western World… 1849

The paper he crammed into the pocket of his light yellow dust-coat.

Doyle… Beyond the City… 1900

Malloring read this letter twice, and the enclosure three times, and crammed them deep down into his pocket.

Galsworthy… The Freelands… 1915

-) Reflexively:

There we waited in a little auberge till a cabriolet from the post was sent, and into this we all four crammed ourselves.

Berry… Extracts of the journals… 1865

The Count du Luc caused a French comedy to be performed in theatre of Baden, to which admission was [… gratuitous] to all who chose to attend it; and, naturally, the house was crowded. […] Of course there were reserved seats for the smart ladies and gentlemen, whilst the profane vulgar scrambled and crammed itself into every vacant corner that could be found.

The Cornhill Magazine… 1877

[…] Mrs. Midge had sought refuge under the sofa, and every bird had crammed itself into what corner it could.

The Strand Magazine… 1900

-) 3. Metaphorical: to make (a person) learn improperly many things, as if by filling her/him with them.

[Boys] are crammed with mere facts, and with the opinions or phrases of other people, and these are accepted as a substitute for the power to [… construe] opinions of their own.

Stuart… Autobiography… 1874

Mary read, and read, and read, till she felt she was made up of the contents of books, crammed with other people's ideas.

Braddon… Phantom Fortune… 1883

It's very difficult to teach boys, because their chief object in life is not to be taught anything, but I should say we were crammed, not taught at all.

Galsworthy… Another Sheaf… 1919

-) Particularly: a. To make (a person) believe lies or crams. b. To make (a person) learn much about a subject, as in preparation for an examination, briefly and without a purpose of making understand. c. To learn (a subject) by hasty preparation and without a purpose of understanding.

[…] fathers and mothers bring their little boys, and take it as a matter of course, that they'll have all manner of Greek, and Latin, and mathematics, and geography crammed into them.

Douglas Jerrold… The writings… 1844

-) Intransitively: to become a crammer; to cram a subject; to learn a subject by hasty preparation and without a purpose of understanding.

Have you ever crammed for an exam, [… been successful in it], and then 2 weeks later could not remember what you studied?

David Wright… Get a job!

-) English words derived from CRAM: crammer, cram (noun), cramming.