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in the administration of justice and public affairs; -- called also a shire. See Shire. Every county, every town, every family, was in agitation. Macaulay.

Very desirous; eager to obtain; -- used in a good sense. [Archaic] Covetous of wisdom and fair virtue. Shak. Covetous death bereaved us all, To aggrandize one funeral. Emerson.

A disease in the West Indies. It is a kind of ulcer on the soles of the feet, with very hard edges. See Yaws. Dunglison.

Infancy, or very early life. From their cradles bred together. Shak. A form of worship in which they had been educated from their cradles. Clarendon.

A werd rhyming with another word. His similes in order set And every crambo he could get. Swift. Dumb crambo, a game in which one party of players give a word which rhymes with another, which last to be guessed by the opposing party, who represent in dumb show what they think it to be.

The crushing of a child's head, as with the cranioclast or craniotomy forceps in cases of very difficult delivery. Dunglison.

An instrument for crushing the head of a fetus, to facilitate delivery in difficult eases.

The operation of opening the fetal head, in order to effect delivery.

n ancient times were numerous in the lakes of both countries. They may be regarded as the very latest class of prehistoric strongholds, reaching their greatest development in early historic times, and surviving through the Middle Ages. See also Lake dwellings, under Lake. Encyc. Brit.

led with rubbish, but with brick or stone fitted to the crannies. Dryden. He peeped into every cranny. Arbuthnot.

f some clergymen. A saint in crape is twice a saint in lawn. Pope. Crape myrtle (Bot.), a very ornamental shrub (Lagerströmia Indica) from the East Indies, often planted in the Southern United States. Its foliage is like that of the myrtle, and the flower has wavy crisped petals. -- Oriental crape. See Canton crape.…

at once; to break in pieces with a harsh noise. Roofs were blazing and walls crashing in every part of the city. Macualay.

, resembling the lobster, but smaller, and found in fresh waters. Crawfishes are esteemed very delicate food both in Europe and America. The North American species are numerous and mostly belong to the genus Cambarus. The blind crawfish of the Mamoth Cave is Cambarus pellucidus. The common European species is Astacus f…

ystallization. It is a white crystalline substance, with a gritty acid taste, and is used very largely as an ingredient of baking powders; -- called also potassium bitartrate, acid potassium tartrate, etc.

nd quality of the utterer or by the manifest likelihood of truth in themselves. Hooker. A very diligent and observing person, and likewise very sober and credible. Dampier.

Crawling, or moving close to the ground. "Every creeping thing." Gen. vi. 20.

gions from Colorado to California and southward through Mexico. It has yellow flowers and very resinous foliage with a strong odor of creosote.

iated together; an assemblage; a throng. There a noble crew Of lords and ladies stood on every side. Spenser. Faithful to whom to thy rebellious crew Milton.

Criminal; involving great crime or grave charges; very wicked; heinous. [Obs.] Holland. -- Crim"i*nous*ly, adv.. -- Crim"i*nous*ness,n. [Obs.]

A very fine, hairlike feather. Booth.