▪ I. crick, n.1
(krɪk)
Forms: 5 crykke, cryk, 6–7 cricke, (8 creek, 9 creak), 6– crick.
[Of uncertain origin; prob. onomatopœic, expressing the sudden check which the spasm causes; cf. next, and stitch. It may owe its form partly to association with crook, which has this sense in Craven dialect: cf. the Sc. cleik similarly used, ‘cleik in the back’ (Jam.).]
A painful spasmodic affection of the muscles of the neck, back, or other part, appearing as a sudden stiffness which makes it more or less impossible to move the part.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 103/1 Crykke, sekenesse (or crampe), spasmus,..tetanus. c 1460 Rel. Ant. II. 29 Thou might stomble, and take the cryk. 1598 Florio, Adolomato, troubled with a cricke or wrinch in the necke or backe. 1639 Fuller Holy War Ep. Ded. (1840) 6 To have such a crick in his neck that he cannot look backward. 1668 R. L'Estrange Vis. Quev. (1708) 173 'Tis nothing..but a Crick she has got in her Back. 1749 Mrs. Delany Life & Corr. II. 520 A violent creek has seized Mr. Monck's neck, and he can't stir. 1856 G. J. Whyte-Melville Kate Cov. xiv, You..study the thermometer till you get a crick in your neck. |
b. Applied to a disease of horses.
| 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1673) 284 The crick in the neck..is when the horse cannot turn his neck any manner of way, but hold it still right forth. 1727 Bradley Fam. Dict., Flanks, a Distemper in Horses, the same being a Wrench, Crick, Stroke, or other Hurt got in his Back. |
c. attrib.
| 1774 Mrs. Harris in Priv. Lett. Ld. Malmesbury I. 276 She has had what was formerly named a crick neck, but the modern phrase now for those vulgar things is rheumatism. |
▪ II. † crick, n.2 Obs.
[app. the same as F. cric, an instrument composed of a toothed wheel, which gives motion to a notched bar: see Hatzfeld s.v. Cric.]
The instrument or appliance for bending a cross-bow; the gaffle.
| 1530 Palsgr. 210/2 Cricke to bende a crosbowe with, cranequin. [1874 Knight Dict. Mech., Crick, a small jack⁓screw.] |
▪ III. crick, n.3
A variant of creek n.1
▪ IV. crick, n.4
Short for cricket: cf. also grig.
| 1616 Sheldon Mir. of Antichrist 323 (T.) A merry cricke and boon companion. 1818 Todd, Crick..3. A corruption of cricket..Crick is used for cricket in the old song of Take thy old Cloak about thee. |
▪ V. crick, v.1
(krɪk)
[f. crick n.1]
trans. To give a crick or wrench to (the neck, etc.).
| 1861 Mayhew Lond. Lab. III. 90/2 He used to take my legs and stretch them, and work them round in their sockets..That is what they called being ‘cricked’. 1884 J. Colborne Hicks Pasha 48, I can't say I saw it, as I did not want to crick my neck. |
▪ VI. crick, v.2
[Echoic, or perh. a. F. criquer. It implies a less shrill and prolonged sound than creak.]
To make a sharp abrupt sound, as a grasshopper. Hence ˈcricking vbl. n.
| 1601 Holland Pliny I. 353 Others make a cricking with a certain long traine, as the Grashoppers. a 1693 Urquhart Rabelais iii. xiii. 107 The..mumbling of Rabets, cricking of Ferrets. |