crow's-foot

American  

[krohz-foot] / ˈkroʊzˌfʊt /

noun

• crow's-feet
  plural

1. Usually crow's-feet. any of the tiny wrinkles at the outer corners of the eyes resulting from age or constant squinting.

2. Aeronautics. an arrangement of ropes in which one main rope exerts pull at several points simultaneously through a group of smaller ropes, as in balloon or airship rigging.

3. (in tailoring) a three-pointed embroidered design used as a finish, as at the end of a seam or opening.

4. crowfoot.

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crow's-foot British  

noun

1. (often plural) a wrinkle at the outer corner of the eye

2. an embroidery stitch with three points, used esp as a finishing at the end of a seam

3. a system of diverging short ropes to distribute the pull of a single rope, used esp in balloon and airship riggings

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• crow's-feet
  plural

Etymology

Origin of crow's-foot

1350–1400; Middle English; so called because likened to a crow's foot or footprint

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crow's-foot crow's-feet

Annabeth ran her hand along some marks on the ground - a jagged crow’s-foot shape as long as a human body.

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

Trefoil, crow's-foot, clover, mallow, and wild mustard riot, tangling and interweaving.

From The Black Opal by Katharine Susannah Prichard

VI Here, minion, fill the steaming cup that clears The skin I will not have exposed to jeers, And rub this wrinkle vigorously until The maddening crow’s-foot wholly disappears.

From Threads of Grey and Gold by Myrtle Reed

On the cricket pitch, a bare hundred yards away from the river bank, is a plentiful crop of dandelions, crow's-foot, clover, and, worst of all, enormous plantains.

From A Cotswold Village by J. Arthur Gibbs

I crossed a crow's-foot of street-car tracks, and skirted the edge of an umbrageous park.

From The Voice of the City: Further Stories of the Four Million by O. Henry

Yet, as the contest stressed empathy, confidence and authenticity as feminine ideals, the mentions of “young woman” remained in place, and with it, the ban on crow’s-feet.

From Seattle Times ● May 25, 2024

The candidate smiled patiently, crinkling the crow's-feet around his eyes.

From Time ● May 19, 2011

Titled “The Coming of Age” issue, the new V Man features on its cover no skinny kid model but Josh Brolin who, with his weather-beaten face and crow’s-feet, looks every minute of 44.

From New York Times ● Oct. 15, 2010

And Reichen, who is so gorgeous even his encroaching crow's-feet are perfectly placed, seems like one of those guys who forgets he is beautiful and desired by everyone all the time.

From Salon ● Oct. 5, 2010

His hair was white, and there were crow’s-feet at the comers of his pale blue eyes.

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin