crawl
UK: krɔːl | US: krɔːl
vi. to move slowly on hands and knees or with the body close to the ground
vi. (of insects) to move with many legs touching the ground
vi. (figurative) to progress slowly or with difficulty
n. a slow, creeping movement
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The word "crawl" originates from Middle English crawlen, likely derived from Old Norse krafla ("to claw, scrabble"). The core idea is slow, laborious movement, often involving limbs or many small steps. The reduplicative -l may emphasize repetition or continuity, reinforcing the sense of gradual progress. Over time, it expanded from literal physical movement (e.g., babies or insects) to metaphorical uses (e.g., projects "crawling" forward).
The baby began to crawl across the floor.
A spider crawled up the wall silently.
Traffic crawled during rush hour.
The project is crawling toward completion.
She felt something crawl over her foot in the dark.