rhizoverbBeta
DictionarycrookDishonest person
noun / verb

crook

KROOK/krʊk/

A bent or hooked shape.

Her sleeve folds at the crook of her raised arm.

A fictional pickpocket stealthily takes a wallet from an unattended coat, no racialized costume stereotype.
Etymology
crookOld Norsehook; corner

The “hook” image developed into the idea of something bent or crooked. Applied figuratively to conduct, “crooked” meant dishonest, giving crook its sense of a swindler or criminal.

In context

Leroy Bornhop9:17
Feen left home to meet his friend and fellow criminal 34-year-old Darren bark with 52 convictions bark was a full-time crook who stole for a living
To Kill a Burglar: The Tony Martin Story (2006)

More examples

  • The creek forms a sharp crook behind the barn.
  • A crook in the branch gives the bird a perch.
  • He crooks his finger to beckon me closer.

Forms

crook · crooks · crooked · crooking

crooked adjective — Bent or curved rather than straight.

Similar words

bend
A general change in direction, not necessarily hook-shaped.
curve
Usually suggests a smooth arc rather than an angular bend.
hook
Emphasizes a curved end used for catching or holding.