crook

1 of 3

verb

ˈkru̇k 

crooked; crooking; crooks

transitive verb

: bend

intransitive verb

: curve, wind

crook

2 of 3

noun

1

: an implement having a bent or hooked form: such as

a

: pothook

b(1)

: a shepherd's staff

(2)

: crosier sense 1

2

: a part of something that is hook-shaped, curved, or bent

the crook of an umbrella handle

3

: bend, curve

4

: a person who engages in fraudulent or criminal practices

crook

3 of 3

adjective

Australia and New Zealand

: not right:

a

: unsatisfactory

b

: dishonest, crooked

c

: irritable, angry

—used especially in the phrase go crook

d

: ill, unwell

Synonyms of crook

Verb

• hook
• bend
• arch
• curve

Noun

• criminal
• offender

Examples of crook in a Sentence

Verb

He crooked his finger at us and led us to the table.

the road suddenly crooked to the left

Noun

He thinks politicians are just a bunch of crooks.

the crook of his arm

The squirrel sat in the crook of the tree.

the crook of the cane

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Two days after the Knicks were booed frequently while trailing by 30 points in the first half of their 114-97 loss to Dallas, the scoreboard was crooked in their favor. —CBS News, 22 Jan. 2026

Her most unusual feature was her teeth, which were crooked in a way that reminded me of a spiral staircase. —Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026

Noun

Victoria carried a shiny burgundy crocodile Birkin with palladium hardware (unclasped, of course) in the crook of her elbow. —Hannah Jackson, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026

The neighborhood/area Portofino began as a fishing village fronting the bay, this little crook of Ligurian coastline. —Matt Ortile, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Jan. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English crok, from Old Norse krōkr hook

Adjective

probably short for crooked

First Known Use

Verb

12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1898, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing crook

• by hook or by crook
• go crook

Rhymes for crook

• book
• brook
• hook
• look
• mook
• nook
• rook
• shook
• snook
• stook
• took
• betook

Kids Definition

crook

1 of 2 verb

ˈkru̇k 

: bend entry 1 sense 2, curve

crook

2 of 2 noun

1

: a shepherd's staff with one end curved into a hook

2

: a dishonest person (as a thief or swindler)

3

: a curved or hooked part of a thing : bend