v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Crawled p. pr. & vb. n. Crawling. ] [ Dan. kravle, or Icel. krafla, to paw, scrabble with the hands; akin to Sw. kräla to crawl; cf. LG. krabbeln, D. krabbelen to scratch. ] 1. To move slowly by drawing the body along the ground, as a worm; to move slowly on hands and knees; to creep. [ 1913 Webster ]

A worm finds what it searches after only by feeling, as it crawls from one thing to another. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, to move or advance in a feeble, slow, or timorous manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was hardly able to crawl about the room. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

The meanest thing that crawl'd beneath my eyes. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To advance slowly and furtively; to insinuate one's self; to advance or gain influence by servile or obsequious conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

Secretly crawling up the battered walls. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hath crawled into the favor of the king. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Absurd opinions crawl about the world. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To have a sensation as of insect creeping over the body; as, the flesh crawls. See Creep, v. i., 7. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or motion of crawling; slow motion, as of a creeping animal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Kraal. ] A pen or inclosure of stakes and hurdles on the seacoast, for holding fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, crawls; a creeper; a reptile. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Swimming) A racing stroke, in which the swimmer, lying flat on the water with face submerged, takes alternate overhand arm strokes while moving his legs up and down alternately from the knee. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Creepy. [ Colloq. ]