crook

About 1.74 uses per million words.

Meaning

1. noun A bend; turn; curve; curvature; a flexure.

   She held the baby in the crook of her arm.

2. noun A bending of the knee; a genuflection.
3. noun A bent or curved part; a curving piece or portion (of anything).

   the crook of a cane

4. noun A person who steals, lies, cheats, or does other dishonest or illegal things; a criminal; a scoundrel, scofflaw, lawbreaker, rogue, or miscreant.
5. noun A lock or curl of hair.
6. noun A support beam consisting of a post with a cross-beam resting upon it; a bracket or truss consisting of a vertical piece, a horizontal piece, and a strut.
7. noun A specialized staff with a semi-circular bend (a "hook") at one end used by shepherds to control their herds.
8. noun A bishop's standard staff of office.

Similar words

curve bend turn felon outlaw malefactor criminal hustler squirt burglar

Often followed by

of and in was to had is or who

Word family

crooked crooking crooks go crook goes crook going crook went crook