Refine this word faster

Stronger alternatives Opposite tone Use in context Cross-language nuance

Croft

//kɹɔf// name, noun, verb

Definitions

Proper Noun
  1. 1
    A surname from Middle English, from the common noun croft, and from places named Croft.
  2. 2
    A village and civil parish in Warrington borough, Cheshire, England (OS grid ref SJ6393).
  3. 3
    A village and civil parish in Blaby district, Leicestershire, England (OS grid ref SP5195).
  4. 4
    A village and civil parish in East Lindsey district, Lincolnshire, England (OS grid ref TF5061).
  5. 5
    An unincorporated community in Pratt County, Kansas, United States.
Noun
  1. 1
    An enclosed piece of land, usually small and arable and used for small-scale food production, and often with a dwelling next to it; in particular, such a piece of land rented to a farmer (a crofter), especially in Scotland, together with a right to use separate pastureland shared by other crofters.

    "...to haue set and for malis and service...the four markland of Kincrakin...with the croft of Polgreyich and the croft that Ewin M'Ewin was wount to haue..."

  2. 2
    An underground chamber; a crypt, an undercroft. archaic
  3. 3
    A carafe. archaic
  4. 4
    a small farm worked by a crofter wordnet
  5. 5
    A cave or cavern. archaic
Verb
  1. 1
    To do agricultural work on one or more crofts. intransitive
  2. 2
    To place (cloth, etc.) on the ground in the open air in order to sun and bleach it. archaic, transitive

Etymology

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Middle English croft, crofft, croffte, croofte, crofte (“croft”), from Old English croft (“enclosed field”); further etymology uncertain, but possibly from Proto-Germanic *kruftaz (“a hill; a curve”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewb- (“to bend; arch, crook, curve”); see also crop. The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch kroft, krocht, crocht (“high and dry land; a field on the downs”), Middle Low German kroch (“enclosed piece of farmland or pasture”), Scots croft, craft (“croft”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Etymology 2

The noun is derived from Middle English croft, crofft, croffte, croofte, crofte (“croft”), from Old English croft (“enclosed field”); further etymology uncertain, but possibly from Proto-Germanic *kruftaz (“a hill; a curve”), from Proto-Indo-European *grewb- (“to bend; arch, crook, curve”); see also crop. The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch kroft, krocht, crocht (“high and dry land; a field on the downs”), Middle Low German kroch (“enclosed piece of farmland or pasture”), Scots croft, craft (“croft”). The verb is derived from the noun.

Etymology 3

From Middle English croft, crofte, croufte, crufte (“crypt; vault”), from Old English cruft, from Latin crupta, crypta (“crypt; vault”), from Ancient Greek κρυπτή (kruptḗ), feminine form of κρῠπτός (krŭptós, “concealed, hidden; secret”), from κρύπτω (krúptō, “to conceal, hide; to obscure”) (further etymology unknown) + -ος (-os). The English word is cognate with Middle Dutch croft, crocht, crochte, crogt, cruft, crufte (modern Dutch krocht (“underground cavity, cave; underground vault, crypt”)), Middle Low German krucht, kruft (“crypt”), Old High German cruft (Middle High German kruft (“cave; crypt”)). Doublet of grotto and crypt.

Etymology 4

A variant of carafe.

Etymology 5

* As an English surname, from the noun croft (“small piece of land”). * Also as an English surname, variant of Craft. * As a Danish, Swedish, German and Jewish surname, Americanized from Kraft. * The place in Leicestershire is from Old English cræft (“device”). Also compare Kroft.

See also for "croft"

Synonyms Antonyms Rhymes Sentences Translate Word Type Pronunciation Word Forms

Next best steps

Find stronger synonymsSee usage examplesCheck pronunciation

Mini challenge

Unscramble this word: croft