crochet
Americannoun
verb (used with or without object)
verb
noun
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work made by crocheting
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architect another name for crocket
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zoology a hooklike structure of insect larvae that aids locomotion
Other Word Forms
- crocheter noun
- well-crocheted adjective
Etymology
Origin of crochet
1840–50; < French: knitting needle, literally, small hook, diminutive of croche, croc < Middle English or Scandinavian. See crook 1, -et
Explanation
You can crochet by winding loops of yarn around a crochet hook, creating little knots that form patterns and — eventually — blankets, pillow covers, doilies, or hot pads. If your brother wants to make an afghan out of rainbow-colored yarn, he should learn how to crochet, or to make textiles by looping yarn with a special hook. Crocheting is similar to knitting, but people who crochet use a different tool. The word crochet comes from French and is therefore pronounced "crow shay." The root word is croc, or "hook."
Vocabulary lists containing crochet
Life As We Knew It
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English Words Derived from French, List 6
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Towers Falling
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One wore a sleeveless crochet dress with geometric patterns, another a loud multicolored jacket.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
Earlier this fall, I decided to learn to crochet in earnest.
From Salon • Nov. 4, 2025
Chingakham Radha, one of the newly resettled residents, said she learned to make crochet dolls while living in the camp and now earns a small income from selling them.
From BBC • Oct. 30, 2025
Red Roses full-back Emma Sing was not expecting a phone call from head coach John Mitchell while in a crochet class - a favourite activity in England's camp.
From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025
She popped in another disc before picking up her crochet needle again.
From "The First Rule of Punk" by Celia C. Pérez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
