crock

¹

[ krok ]

noun

1. an earthenware pot, jar, or other container.
2. a fragment of earthenware; potsherd.
3. Slang. euphemistic shortening of crock of shit.

crock

²

[ krok ]

noun

1. a person or thing that is old, decrepit, or broken-down.
2. Slang. a person who complains about or insists on being treated for an imagined illness.
3. an old ewe.
4. an old worn-out horse.

verb (used with object)

1. British Slang. to disable or injure.

crock

³

[ krok ]

noun

1. British Dialect. soot; smut.
2. excess surface dye from imperfectly dyed cloth.

verb (used with object)

1. British Dialect. to soil with soot.

verb (used without object)

1. (of cloth) to give off excess surface dye when rubbed.

crock

¹

/ krɒk /

noun

1. dialect.
   soot or smut
2. colour that rubs off fabric

verb

1. dialect.
   tr to soil with or as if with soot
2. intr (of a dyed fabric) to release colour when rubbed, as a result of imperfect dyeing

crock

²

/ krɒk /

noun

1. an earthen pot, jar, etc
2. a piece of broken earthenware
3. informal.
   Alsocrock of shit a quantity or source of lies or nonsense

crock

³

/ krɒk /

noun

1. slang.
   a person or thing, such as a car, that is old or decrepit (esp in the phrase old crock )
2. an old broken-down horse or ewe

verb

1. slang.
   to become or cause to become weak or disabled

Word History and Origins

Origin of crock¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English crokke, Old English croc(c), crocca “pot”; cognate with Old Norse krukka “jug”

Origin of crock²

First recorded in 1520–30; Middle English crok “old ewe,” perhaps akin to crack (verb) and obsolete crack “whore”; compare Low German krakke “broken-down horse”

Origin of crock³

First recorded in 1650–60; origin uncertain

Word History and Origins

Origin of crock¹

C17: probably from crock ¹

Origin of crock²

Old English crocc pot; related to Old Norse krukka jug, Middle Low German krūke pot

Origin of crock³

C15: originally Scottish; related to Norwegian krake unhealthy animal, Dutch kraak decrepit person or animal

Example Sentences

There are also massive versions of the crock used to bulk-ferment alcohol, soy sauces, spicy bean pastes, and vinegars.

From Eater

This type of crock is a common motif in the countryside, where many families maintain decently sized collections of crocks in rotation, passing them down the generations along with the brines inside.

From Eater

She says pickles made in her clay crock have a subtle yet distinct crispness to them, and the process of nurturing a brine over the years creates a unique pickle that can’t be found anywhere else.

From Eater

It’s important to stress that this type of pickling crock is not unique to China, though it is an especially pervasive tool in the cuisine and likely originated from the region.

From Eater

In terms of material, pickling crocks are usually made out of glass, glazed clay, or porcelain.

From Eater

I like the Instant Pot, which is also a pressure cooker, but if you want something cheaper, this Crock-Pot does a fine job.

From The Daily Beast

George W. Bush did it, with compassionate conservatism, crock though it was.

From The Daily Beast

Note: The breakfast rice may also be made in a crock pot overnight.

From The Daily Beast

JASON ( swatting an imaginary gnat): Hope over fear... What a crock.

From The Daily Beast

When Eddie looked up he saw a big crock mark over one of Tom's eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

The cellar never was a safe place again; Aunt Ann tried it with doughnuts, and the crock was empty in two days.

From Project Gutenberg

This Christian device is made of a jam-tin or crock filled with gun-cotton and nails, and has a fuse attached to it.

From Project Gutenberg

Then simmer it a long, long time in a deep covered dish; a casserole, or a crock, or some such thing.

From Project Gutenberg

Do not stem them or wash them, but look them over carefully and crush them in a crock with a wooden potato masher.

From Project Gutenberg