crock

1 of 4

noun (1)

ˈkräk 

1

: a thick earthenware pot or jar

2

[from its formation on cooking pots] dialect : soot, smut

3

: coloring matter that rubs off from cloth or dyed leather

4

: bunkum

—usually used with a

the story in the paper is a crock

crock

2 of 4

verb (1)

crocked; crocking; crocks

transitive verb

1

: to put or preserve in a crock

2

dialect : to soil with crock : smudge

intransitive verb

: to transfer color (as when rubbed or washed)

a suede that will not crock

crock

3 of 4

noun (2)

1

: one that is broken-down, disabled, or impaired

so many old … crocks with one foot in the grave

—Angus Wilson

2

slang : a complaining medical patient whose illness is largely imaginary or psychosomatic

crock

4 of 4

verb (2)

crocked; crocking; crocks

transitive verb

: to cause to become disabled

intransitive verb

: break down

Synonyms

Noun (1)

• applesauce [slang]
• balderdash
• baloney
• boloney
• beans
• bilge
• blah
• blah-blah
• blarney
• blather
• blatherskite
• blither
• bosh
• bull [slang]
• bunk
• bunkum
• buncombe
• claptrap
• codswallop [British]
• crapola [slang]
• drivel
• drool
• fiddle
• fiddle-faddle
• fiddlesticks
• flannel [British]
• flapdoodle
• folderol
• falderal
• folly
• foolishness
• fudge
• garbage
• guff
• hogwash
• hokeypokey
• hokum
• hoodoo
• hooey
• horsefeathers [slang]
• humbug
• humbuggery
• jazz
• malarkey
• malarky
• moonshine
• muck
• nerts [slang]
• nonsense
• nuts
• piffle
• poppycock
• punk
• rot
• rubbish
• senselessness
• silliness
• slush
• stupidity
• taradiddle
• tarradiddle
• tommyrot
• tosh
• trash
• trumpery
• twaddle

Examples of crock in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Some of the more common items that move through the warehouse are crock pots, air fryers, paper towels, toilet paper, dog food and cat food, Abundis said. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 3 Apr. 2024

These stone crocks go from oven to table with handles for easy carrying. —Jené Luciani Sena, Fox News, 24 Jan. 2024

Ladle the soup with onions into ovenproof and broiler-proof crocks, ramekins or bowls. —Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 8 Mar. 2024

Divide the soup evenly among four ovenproof bowls or crocks arranged on a baking sheet. —Lynda Balslev, The Mercury News, 5 Feb. 2024

In the kitchen on this day, giant bubbling crocks of cassava leaf stew, peanut butter soup and jollof rice sat over jumping blue flames. —Mará Rose Williams, Kansas City Star, 19 Jan. 2024

Once your chicken is finished marinating, cook until done either in a crock pot or over the stove. —Brandon Rasmussen, Idaho Statesman, 31 Jan. 2024

Their claim to act in solidarity with Palestinians is a crock. —Matthew Continetti, National Review, 12 Jan. 2024

Older versions are aged three to five years, made the traditional way in earthen crocks. —Jing Gao, Bon Appétit, 12 Oct. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English crocc; akin to Old English crūce pot, pitcher, Middle High German krūche

Noun (2)

Middle English crok; akin to Low German krakke broken-down horse

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (1)

1594, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Noun (2)

1528, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

1839, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Kids Definition

crock

1 of 2 noun

ˈkräk 

: a pot or jar made of baked clay

crock

2 of 2 noun

: one that is broken-down or useless

Medical Definition

crock

noun

ˈkräk 

slang

: a complaining medical patient whose illness is largely imaginary or psychosomatic