creeper

[ kree-per ]

/ ˈkri pər /

Save This Word!

See synonyms for creeper on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person or thing that creeps.

Botany. a plant that grows upon or just beneath the surface of the ground, or upon any other surface, sending out rootlets from the stem, as ivy and couch grass.

Often creepers. a one-piece garment for an infant, the lower portion resembling briefs or having legs extending to the knees, with snaps across the crotch for convenience in diapering.

Chiefly Northeastern U.S. a spiked iron plate worn on the shoe to prevent slipping on ice, rock, etc.

Also called broth·el creep·er .Informal. a shoe with a thick, soft sole:She wore a miniskirt and creepers.

Also called cradle. Automotive. a flat framework on casters, on which a mechanic lies while working under an automobile or the like.

Ornithology. any of various birds that creep or climb about on trees, especially of the family Certhiidae, as Certhia americana(brown creeper, or tree creeper ), of the Northern Hemisphere.

a domestic fowl having malformed, short legs, due to a genetic defect.

a grappling device for dragging a river, lake, etc.

Also creep .Slang. a sneak thief.

Slang. a person who makes persistent sexual advances toward someone, or who cheats on a sexual partner.

Slang. creep (def. 18).

Slang. a person who follows someone persistently or stealthily; a stalker.

QUIZ

CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?

There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?

Question 1 of 7

Which sentence is correct?

His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of creeper

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crepere, Old English crēopere; see origin at creep, -er¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use creeper in a sentence

Herr Schleierer, a botanist, assured us that he once found upon one tree six and thirty different kinds of creepers and parasites.
A Woman's Journey Round the World|Ida Pfeiffer
All its gables and nooks were blended and held together by the tender green of the climbing roses and young creepers.
Ruth|Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell
But with a stout heart he struggled on through poisonous morasses, and pushed his way through snaky creepers.
In Africa|John T. McCutcheon
The ship itself was enwrapped by interlaced creepers which it had ripped loose from the upper foliage.
Spacewrecked on Venus|Neil R. Jones

It was composed entirely of coral, though covered over thickly with creepers of various sorts.
In the Wilds of Florida|W.H.G. Kingston

British Dictionary definitions for creeper

creeper

/ (ˈkriːpə) /

noun

a person or animal that creeps

a plant, such as the ivy or periwinkle, that grows by creeping

Also called: tree creeper US and Canadian any small songbird of the family Certhiidae of the N hemisphere, having a brown-and-white plumage and slender downward-curving bill. They creep up trees to feed on insects

a hooked instrument for dragging deep water

Also called: cradle a flat board or framework mounted on casters, used to lie on when working under cars

Also called: daisy cutter cricket a bowled ball that keeps low or travels along the ground

either of a pair of low iron supports for logs in a hearth

informal a shoe with a soft sole

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

creeper

Origin of creeper

Words related to creeper

How to use creeper in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for creeper