crow

The word “crow” means a large black bird with a harsh, cawing call. In plain terms, the black bird, the rooster's call, or (figuratively) bragging loudly about a win.

“Crow” is pronounced kroh (/kɹoʊ/ in IPA).

Here is “crow” used in a sentence: “A crow perched on the fence post, watching the field.”

Depending on how it is used, “crow” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “crow” comes from Old English. From Old English crāwe, imitating the bird's harsh call — related to the verb "to crow.".

“Crow” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the B1 level.

“Crow” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large black bird with a harsh, cawing call.

Crows and ravens are both large black birds with harsh calls, but ravens are typically larger, with shaggier throat feathers and a deeper, more guttural call, while crows are smaller with a sharper, more repetitive caw. The dictionary defines crow simply as a large black bird with a harsh, cawing call, without distinguishing it from closely related species like the raven.

When a rooster crows, it makes its loud, characteristic call, especially at dawn, a behavior long associated with marking the start of the day. This sense of crow describes a specific bird sound rather than the general cawing of the crow species.

To crow about something means to boast or express triumphant satisfaction, often in a way that others find annoying, such as crowing about a win over a rival. This figurative use likely draws on the proud, loud sound of a rooster's crow at dawn.