crick

¹

[ krik ]

noun

1. a sharp, painful spasm of the muscles, as of the neck or back.

verb (used with object)

1. to give a crick or wrench to (the neck, back, etc.).

crick

²

[ krik ]

noun

, Northern, North Midland, and Western U.S.

1. creek ( def 1 ).

Crick

³

[ krik ]

noun

1. Francis Harry Compton, 1916–2004, English biophysicist: Nobel Prize in Medicine 1962.

crick

¹

/ krɪk /

noun

1. See creek
   a dialect word for creek

Crick

²

/ krɪk /

noun

1. CrickFrancis Harry Compton19162004MEnglishSCIENCE: biologist Francis Harry Compton. 1916–2004, English molecular biologist: helped to discover the helical structure of DNA; Nobel prize for physiology or medicine shared with James Watson and Maurice Wilkins 1962

crick

³

/ krɪk /

noun

1. a painful muscle spasm or cramp, esp in the neck or back

verb

1. tr to cause a crick in (the neck, back, etc)

Crick

/ krĭk /

1. British biologist who with James D. Watson identified the structure of DNA in 1953. By analyzing the patterns cast by x-rays striking DNA molecules, they found that DNA has the structure of a double helix, consisting of two spirals linked together at the base, forming ladderlike rungs. For this work they shared the 1962 Nobel Prize for physiology or medicine with Maurice Wilkins.

Word History and Origins

Origin of crick¹

1400–50; late Middle English crikke, perhaps akin to crick ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of crick¹

C15: of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

You have, therefore, a constant crick in the neck, but this is nothing to the pain in your knees and thighs.

From The Daily Beast

Crick also questioned the authenticity of another piece, “A Hanging.”

From The Daily Beast

And when three come, me and Maud was on the Bar Y road where it goes acrosst that crick-bottom.

From Project Gutenberg

His daddy died; his mother lived on a little place in town, up-crick from the bridge.

From Project Gutenberg

Then he got indicted with others fer robbin' a little tannery that was operatin' down the crick.

From Project Gutenberg

They was a crick about a hundred yards from our house, in the woods, and I went over there and laid down and watched it run by.

From Project Gutenberg

They was a good-sized crick at the edge of that little place, and on it an old-fashioned worter mill.

From Project Gutenberg