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tunity; to ask with submission or humility; to beg; to entreat; to beseech; to implore. I crave your honor's pardon. Shak. Joseph . . . went in boldly unto Pilate, and craved the body of Jesus. Mark xv. 43.

Cowardly; fainthearted; spiritless. "His craven heart." Shak. The poor craven bridegroom said never a word. Sir. W. Scott. In craven fear of the sarcasm of Dorset. Macualay.

One who craves or begs.

ontroversy; also, the terms or conditions of settlement; agreement. Thus we are agreed: I crave our composition may be written. Shak.

Fault; offense; ill deed; wrong act; failure in virtue or wisdom. And pardon craved for his so rash default. Spenser. Regardless of our merit or default. Pope.

from or against; as, to defend one's self from, or against, one's enemies. The lord mayor craves aid . . . to defend the city. Shak. God defend the right! Shak. A village near it was defended by the river. Clarendon.

ot Lord Cranstone deigned she greet. Sir W. Scott. Round turned he, as not deigning Those craven ranks to see. Macaulay.

uence, by whispered insinuations or private talk. "No longer was he earwigged by the Lord Cravens." Lord Campbell.

n worth! Shak. I will deliver you, in ready coin, The full and dear'st esteem of what you crave. J. Webster.

own a bowl for Cæsar's health. Dryden. That which we, for our unworthiness, are afraid to crave, our prayer is, that God, for the worthiness of his Son, would, notwithstanding, vouchsafe to grant. Hooker.

. Clarendon. Not withstanding all the subtle bait With which those Amazons his love still craved, To his one love his loyalty he saved. Spenser.

ent; refuse; -- commonly used in the plural. Milton. Let him have time a beggar's orts to crave. Shak.

pardon was my judge. Milton. Used in expressing courteous denial or contradiction; as, I crave your pardon; or in indicating that one has not understood another; as, I beg pardon.

A vitiated appetite that craves what is unfit for food, as chalk, ashes, coal, etc.; chthonophagia.

An arrant coward; a dastard; a craven; a mean-spirited wretch. Shak.

ying for mercy, as a combatant in the trial by battle; yielding; cowardly; mean-spirited; craven. "This recreant knight." Spenser.

A putting off of that which was appointed; a postponement or delay. I crave but four day's respite. Shak.

To feel need of; to wish or long for; to desire; to crave. " What wants my son" Addison. I want to speak to you about something. A. Trollope.

Whosoever. Piers Plowman. Whoso shrinks or falters now, . . . Brand the craven on his brow! Whittier.