crock

1 of 4

noun (1)

1
: a thick earthenware pot or jar
2
[from its formation on cooking pots] dialect : soot, smut
3
: coloring matter that rubs off from cloth or dyed leather
4
: bunkum
usually used with a
the story in the paper is a crock

crock

2 of 4

verb (1)

crocked; crocking; crocks

transitive verb

1
: to put or preserve in a crock
2
dialect : to soil with crock : smudge

intransitive verb

: to transfer color (as when rubbed or washed)
a suede that will not crock

crock

3 of 4

noun (2)

1
: one that is broken-down, disabled, or impaired
so many old … crocks with one foot in the graveAngus Wilson
2
slang : a complaining medical patient whose illness is largely imaginary or psychosomatic

crock

4 of 4

verb (2)

crocked; crocking; crocks

transitive verb

: to cause to become disabled

Examples of crock in a Sentence

Noun (1) that whole thing about how surprised she was to win the award was a crock
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Or, invest in a fermentation crock and turn it into sauerkraut. Sarah Kuta, The Denver Post, 9 Oct. 2024 Butter can be stored in a crock, so it's always softened and ready to go for biscuits. Nicole Letts, Southern Living, 28 Sep. 2024
Verb
Store indigo garments together or wrap them in tissue to avoid crocking. Jolie Kerr, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for crock 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crock.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English crocc; akin to Old English crūce pot, pitcher, Middle High German krūche

Noun (2)

Middle English crok; akin to Low German krakke broken-down horse

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1594, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1839, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of crock was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near crock

Cite this Entry

“Crock.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crock. Accessed 2 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

crock

1 of 2 noun
: a pot or jar made of baked clay

crock

2 of 2 noun
: one that is broken-down or useless

Medical Definition

crock

noun
slang
: a complaining medical patient whose illness is largely imaginary or psychosomatic

More from Merriam-Webster on crock

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!