▪ I. ‖ croc1, † crock
(krɒk)
[OF. croc hook = Pr. croc, It. crocco, med.L. croccus, of uncertain origin.]
A hook: in harquebus à (of) croc, a harquebus with a hook or crook by which it was fixed to its rest or support when fired: see harquebus.
▪ II. croc2
(krɒk)
Colloq. abbrev. of crocodile.
1. = crocodile n. 1 a.
| 1884 C. B. Lewis Sawed-off Sketches 133 ‘You'll be sure to agree with me,’ muttered the old Croc. as he chewed him down. 1921 Blackw. Mag. Jan. 102/1 The ‘croc’ is the one African animal regarding which nobody has any idea of sportsmanship. 1925 Ibid. Sept. 419/1 With loud yells to scare away any crocs that might be lurking round. 1936 P. M. Clark Autobiogr. Old Drifter x. 135 Leaving the corpses of many crocs lying about behind us. 1964 C. Willock Enormous Zoo iv. 60 The head of a croc spear is detachable, like that of an old-fashioned whaler's harpoon. |
b. = crocodile n. 1 c; esp. in phr. mock croc, imitation crocodile-skin.
| 1963 Honey Oct. 59 Boots—in mock-croc. Ibid. 69/4 Mock-croc bag. 1967 Woman 9 Dec. 11/2 Chic burgundy mock croc shoes. |
2. = crocodile n. 4.
| 1948 ‘J. Tey’ Franchise Affair ii. 27 An ordinary sort of girl, after all. Not the sort you would notice in a croc. 1958 Listener 6 Nov. 722/2 Walking in a school croc. |