Chapter Crotch to Crown of C by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Croton bug
(Cro"ton bug`) [From the Croton water of New York.] (Zoöl.) A small, active, winged species of cockroach the water bug. It is common aboard ships, and in houses in cities, esp. in those with hot- water pipes.

Crotonic
(Cro*ton"ic) a. Of or pertaining to, or derived from, a plant of the genus Croton, or from croton oil.

Crotonic acid (Chem.), a white crystalline organic acid, C₃H₅.CO₂H, of the ethylene, or acrylic acid series. It was so named because formerly supposed to exist in croton oil. Also, any acid metameric with crotonic acid proper.

The acid characteristic of croton oil is tiglic or tiglinic acid, a derivative of crotonic acid.

Crotonine
(Cro"ton*ine) n. (Chem.) A supposed alkaloid obtained from croton oil by boiling it with water and magnesia, since found to be merely a magnesia soap of the oil. Watts.

Crotonylene
(Cro*ton"y*lene) n. [Crotonic + acet-ylene.] (Chem.) A colorless, volatile, pungent liquid, C₄H₆, produced artificially, and regarded as an unsaturated hydrocarbon of the acetylene series, and analogous to crotonic acid.

Crottles
(Crot"tles) n. pl. [Gael. crotal.] A name given to various lichens gathered for dyeing. [Scot.]

Crouch
(Crouch) v. i. [imp. & p. p. Crouched (kroucht); p. pr. & vb. n. Crouching.] [OE. cruchen, crouchen, crouken; cf. E. creep, G. krauchen, kriechen, or E. crook to bend, also crouch to cross.]

1. To bend down; to stoop low; to lie close to the ground with the logs bent, as an animal when waiting for prey, or in fear.

Now crouch like a cur.
Beau. & Fl.

2. To bend servilely; to stoop meanly; to fawn; to cringe. "A crouching purpose." Wordsworth.

Must I stand and crouch
Under your testy humor?
Shak.

Crouch
(Crouch), v. t. [OE. cruchen, crouchen, from cruche, crouche, cross. Cf. Crosier, Crook.]

1. To sign with the cross; to bless. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. To bend, or cause to bend, as in humility or fear.

She folded her arms across her chest,
And crouched her head upon her breast.
Colerige.

Crouched
(Crouched) a. Marked with the sign of the cross. [Obs.]

Crouched friar. See Crutched friar, under Crutched.

Croud
(Croud) n. (Mus.) See Crowd, a violin.

Crouke
(Crouke) n. A crock; a jar. [Obs.] Chauser.

Croup
(Croup) n. [F. croupe hind quarters, croup, rump, of German or Icel. origin; cf. Icel. kryppa hump; akin to Icel. kroppr. Cf. Crop.] The hinder part or buttocks of certain quadrupeds, especially of a horse; hence, the place behind the saddle.

So light to the croup the fair lady he swung,
So light to the saddle before her he sprung.
Sir W. Scott.