crow

"Crow" is a versatile English word with a few interesting meanings. It can be a noun referring to a bird, or a verb describing a sound or a type of boastful behaviour. Here are the most common senses.

1nounthe bird

A crow is a large, intelligent bird with shiny black feathers. You have probably seen them in parks, fields, or cities — they are very common and known for being clever and noisy.

everyday language / nature · Modern, widely used

A crow landed on the fence and stared at us.

Crows are known to use tools to get food, which shows how smart they are.

The farmer tried to scare the crows away from his crops.

2verbthe sound a rooster makes

When a rooster (a male chicken) makes its loud, sharp call — especially in the morning — we say it crows. Think of the classic 'cock-a-doodle-doo' sound. That is crowing.

everyday language / rural life · Modern, widely used

The rooster crowed at dawn and woke everyone up.

We knew it was early morning when we heard the rooster crowing outside.

The rooster crowed three times before the sun had fully risen.

3verbfigurativeto boast or brag

If someone is crowing, they are talking very proudly and loudly about something they did or achieved — often in a way that is a little annoying to others. Imagine someone who won a game and just won't stop talking about it. That person is crowing.

everyday language · Modern, widely used · figurative

He spent the whole evening crowing about his promotion at work.

She couldn't help crowing after her team won the championship.

There's no need to crow — just accept the compliment gracefully.

4nouncrowbar (short form)

In informal or technical contexts, 'crow' can be a short way of saying 'crowbar' — a heavy metal tool shaped like a bar with a curved end, used to force things open or pull out nails.

tools / construction · Informal, less common in everyday speech

He used a crow to pry open the old wooden crate.

The workers needed a crow to remove the nails from the floorboards.