north. dial. Also 7 creil, 7–8 croyll, croil. [Cf. Du. kriel dwarf; the forms present phonetic difficulties.] A dwarfed or stunted person.
a. 1605. Montgomerie, Flyting, 295. That cruiked, camschoche croyll, vncristned, they curse.
1691. Tomlinson, in Ray, N. C. Words, Creil, a short, stubbed, dwarfish man. Northumb.
1728. Ramsay, Fables & Tales, Ep. Duncan Forbes, viii. Thy wit’s a croil, thy judgment’s blind.
1818. Hogg, Brownie of B., I. 13 (Jam.). A wee bit hurklin crile.
