Obs. Forms: 4–7 crouk(e, 5 (dial.) crowk, 6–7 crooke. [Echoic: cf. CROAK.
The phonetic relations between crouke, crowke, 17th c. crook, and mod. north dial. crowk are not clear.]
1. intr. To croak. Rarely trans.
a. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., A. 459. He [the raven] croukez for comfort when carayne he fyndez.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 105. Crowken, as cranes, gruo. Crowken, as todes, or frosshes, coaxo.
14[?]. Metr. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 623. A lytulle frogge crowkyt.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, 150. They crouke harshly.
1617. Wither, Fidelia. Fatall Ravens that … Crooke their black Auguries.
1878. Cumbrld. Gloss., Crowk, to croak. ‘The guts crowk’ when the bowels make a rumbling noise.
2. To coo or crood, as a dove. Cf. CROOKLE.
1586. W. Webbe, Eng. Poetrie (Arb.), 75. Neither … thy beloude Doues … Nor prettie Turtles trim, vvill cease to crooke.
1611. Cotgr., Geindre … to crooe, crooke, or mourne as a doue.
