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View synonyms for

crew

1

[ kroo ]

noun

  1. a group of persons involved in a particular kind of work or working together:

    the crew of a train;

    a wrecking crew.

  2. Nautical.
    1. the people who sail or operate a ship or boat.
    2. the common sailors of a ship's company.
    3. a particular gang of a ship's company.
  3. the people who fly or operate an aircraft or spacecraft.
  4. the team that rows a racing shell:

    varsity crew.

  5. the sport of racing with racing shells:

    He went out for crew in his freshman year.

  6. a company; crowd:

    He and his crew of friends filled the room.

  7. any force or band of armed men.


verb (used with object)

  1. to serve as a member of a crew on (a ship, aircraft, etc.).
  2. to obtain or employ a crew for (a ship, aircraft, etc.).

verb (used without object)

  1. to serve as a member of a crew.

crew

2

[ kroo ]

verb

  1. a simple past tense of crow 2.

crew

1

/ ː /

noun

  1. the men who man a ship, boat, aircraft, etc
  2. nautical a group of people assigned to a particular job or type of work
  3. informal.
    a gang, company, or crowd
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to serve on (a ship) as a member of the crew
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

crew

2

/ ː /

verb

  1. a past tense of crow 2
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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Grammar Note

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Other Word Forms

  • l adjective
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crew1

First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English crewe “augmentation,” hence “reinforcements, body of soldiers,” from Middle French creue, literally, “an increase,” noun use of feminine of Old French creu “grown, increased,” past participle of creistre “to grow,” from Latin ŧ; crescent
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Word History and Origins

Origin of crew1

C15 crue (military) reinforcement, from Old French creue augmentation, from Old French creistre to increase, from Latin crescere
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Water-dropping helicopters initially were not able to fly because of wind, according to the agency, but around 1:40 a.m., they began launching an aerial attack to support crews on the ground.

From

By 4:30 p.m. road crews made significant progress to clear PCH, but there was too “much mud to clear still at Tuna Canyon Road,” the agency said in a social media post on X.

From

Though the cast and crew of the television series “Al-Batal,” or “The Hero,” were happy to be wrapping up, there was a tinge of anxiety.

From

Vazquez also said that crews took measures, including installing a type of berm, to prevent burned home debris from washing off properties.

From

The Clearwater Ferry, which had 45 people on board, including two crew members, was struck by a boat which then left the scene.

From

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More About Crew

is a basic definition of crew?

A crew is a group of people who work together. Crew can also be used more generally to mean any crowd of people or as a verb to mean to serve as a member of a crew. Crew has a few other senses as a noun and a verb.

The word crew is mostly interchangeable with words like team, squad, or gang. However, crew is the specific term used to mean a cooperative group of people that operates a boat, an airplane, or a spacecraft. In any case, a crew usually has a person who is the leader or the captain. The word crewmember or crewman refers to a single individual within the crew.

  • Real-life examples: Boats are operated by a crew of sailors, airplanes are operated by pilots and the rest of the flight crew, and spacecraft are operated by a crew of astronauts. A building might be destroyed by a wrecking crew. A dance crew performs in front of people. Race cars are fixed by pit crews.
  • Used in a sentence: The boat was attacked by Captain Kidd and his crew of pirates. 

In this same sense, crew is used as a verb to mean to be a member of a crew.

  • Used in a sentence: I have crewed over a dozen boats since I became a sailor. 

Crew can also be generally used to mean any group or crowd of people.

  • Used in a sentence: I bought drinks for Jayden and his crew of friends. 

Where does crew come from?

The first records of crew come from around 1425. It ultimately comes from the Latin ŧ, meaning “to grow” or “to arise.”

Did you know ... ?

are some other forms related to crew?

  • crewless (adjective)

are some synonyms for crew?

are some words that share a root or word element with crew?

are some words that often get used in discussing crew?

How is crew used in real life?

Crew is a common word that refers to a team or crowd of people.

Try using crew!

True or False?

The word crew is most often used to refer to the teams that operate boats, airplanes, and spacecraft.

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