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Crick

//kɹɪk// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A village and civil parish in West Northamptonshire, Northamptonshire, England, previously in Daventry district (OS grid ref SP5872).
  2. 2
    A small village in Caerwent community, Monmouthshire, Wales (OS grid ref ST4890).
  3. 3
    A habitational surname derived from the placename.

    "Francis Crick was the co-discoverer of the structure of DNA."

Noun
  1. 1
    A painful muscular cramp or spasm of some part of the body, as of the neck or back, making it difficult to move the part affected.
  2. 2
    Alternative form of creek. Appalachia, alt-of, alternative
  3. 3
    The creaking of a door, or a noise resembling it.
  4. 4
    a painful muscle spasm especially in the neck or back (‘rick’ and ‘wrick’ are British) wordnet
  5. 5
    A small jackscrew.
Verb
  1. 1
    To develop a crick (cramp, spasm).

    "Stomach sleeping never worked for her because her neck cricked and pained in so short a time, that she never got the chance to fall asleep that way although the rest of her body snuggled well into the bed in that position."

  2. 2
    twist (a body part) into a strained position wordnet
  3. 3
    To cause to develop a crick; to create a crick in.

    "He'd fallen asleep after all (and he'd done it in such a way as to crick his neck and his back and put his right arm to sleep; hardly a good start to a busy day) and now daylight was seeping through the bald patches in the thatch, ..."

  4. 4
    To twist, bend, or contort, especially in a way that produces strain.

    "He stopped a few feet from her, probably because he'd have to crick his neck to glare at her and that would just be embarrassing for him. “Dealing with garbage suits you.”"

Etymology

Etymology 1

From Middle English crike, crykke (“muscular spasm of the neck”), attested since the 1400s. Likely related to Old Norse kriki (“bend; nook”), whence also crick (“creek”) and creek.

Etymology 2

From Middle English crike, crykke (“muscular spasm of the neck”), attested since the 1400s. Likely related to Old Norse kriki (“bend; nook”), whence also crick (“creek”) and creek.

Etymology 3

See creek.

Etymology 4

See creak.

See also for "crick"

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