crow

Etymology 1

From Middle English crowe, from Old English crāwe, from Proto-West Germanic *krāā, from Proto-Germanic *krēǭ (compare West Frisian krie, Dutch kraai, German Krähe), from *krēaną (“to crow”). See below.

noun

1. A bird, usually black, of the genus Corvus, having a strong conical beak, with projecting bristles; it has a harsh, croaking call.
   Gaslark in his splendour on the golden stairs saying adieu to those three captains and their matchless armament foredoomed to dogs and crows on Salapanta Hills. 1922, E.R. Eddison, The Worm Ouroborus
2. Any of various dark-coloured nymphalid butterflies of the genus Euploea.
3. A bar of iron with a beak, crook or claw; a bar of iron used as a lever; a crowbar.
   He approached the humble tomb in which Antonia reposed. He had provided himself with an iron crow and a pick-axe: but this precaution was unnecessary. 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society, published 1985, page 267
4. (historical) A gangplank (corvus) used by the Ancient Roman navy to board enemy ships.
5. (among butchers) The mesentery of an animal.
6. (derogatory) An ill-tempered and obstinate woman, or one who otherwise has features resembling the bird; a harpy.
   But it helps a man along to have a wife he can be proud of. Suppose you marry some old crow. People point at her and ask, 'Who is that death's head yonder?' 1899, George Horton, A Fair Brigand, H.S. Stone, page 242
   (Mrs. Meany to Woody, from a window) "I don't care! I'm not running a pet shop." "Well it looks like one with an old crow in the window!" 1970, Paul J. Smith, 0:13 from the start, in Woody Woodpecker: "Seal on the Loose", spoken by Woody Woodpecker (Grace Stafford)
7. (ethnic slur, offensive, slang) A black person.
8. (military, slang) The emblem of an eagle, a sign of military rank.
   A young petty officer that must have just received his “crow” (a single chevron, with an eagle over it) was showing off to several seamen. 2002, Ed Goodrich, Riggers that Dive, page 46
   The young man had been threatened with loss of his third class rank, his “crow,” the eagle in a petty officer's sleeve insignia. 2003, Jonathan T. Malay, Seraphim Sky, page 106

Etymology 2

The verb is from Middle English crowen, from Old English crāwan (past tense crēow, past participle crāwen), from Proto-Germanic *krēaną, from imitative Proto-Indo-European *gerH- (“to cry hoarsely”). The noun is from Middle English crowe, from the verb. Compare Dutch kraaien, German krähen, Lithuanian gróti, Russian гра́ять (grájatʹ)). Related to croak.

verb

1. (intransitive) To make the shrill sound characteristic of a rooster; to make a sound in this manner, either in gaiety, joy, pleasure, or defiance.
   This is the Cock that crowed in the Morn[.] 1784, The House that Jack Built, page 8
   When your rooster crows at the break o' dawn / Look out your window and I'll be gone. 1962, Bob Dylan (lyrics and music), “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right”, in The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
2. (intransitive) To shout in exultation or defiance; to brag.
   He’s been crowing all day about winning the game of cards.
   Touting its sponsorship of local engineering and sustainability programs, Amazon crows about such “investments” as its dog park, playing fields, art installations, and Buckyball-reminiscent domical gardens. 27 September 2017, Julianne Tveten, “Zucktown, USA”, in The Baffler
3. (intransitive, music) To test the reed of a double reed instrument by placing the reed alone in the mouth and blowing it.

noun

1. The cry of the bird known in the US as a rooster and in British English as a cockerel.