Creep vs Creeps - What's the difference?
creep | creeps |
To move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground.
* 1922 , (Margery Williams), (The Velveteen Rabbit)
Of plants, to grow across a surface rather than upwards.
To move slowly and quietly in a particular direction.
To make small gradual changes, usually in a particular direction.
To move in a stealthy or secret manner; to move imperceptibly or clandestinely; to steal in; to insinuate itself or oneself.
* John Locke
To slip, or to become slightly displaced.
To move or behave with servility or exaggerated humility; to fawn.
* Shakespeare
To have a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin of the body; to crawl.
To drag in deep water with creepers, as for recovering a submarine cable.
The movement of something that creeps (like worms or snails)
A relatively small gradual change, variation or deviation (from a planned value) in a measure.
A slight displacement of an object: the slight movement of something
The gradual expansion or proliferation of something beyond its original goals or boundaries, considered negatively.
(publishing) In sewn books, the tendency of pages on the inside of a quire to stand out farther than those on the outside of it.
(materials science) An increase in strain with time; the gradual flow or deformation of a material under stress.
(geology) The imperceptible downslope movement of surface rock.
(informal, pejorative) An annoying irritating person
(informal, pejorative) A frightening and/or disconcerting person, especially one who gives the speaker chills or who induces psychosomatic facial itching.
(agriculture) A barrier with small openings used to keep large animals out while allowing smaller animals to pass through.
(pluralonly) Fear; anxiety.
(creep)
As a proper noun creep
is (derogatory) the committee]] to re-elect the president, which raised money for [[w:richard nixon|richard nixon's campaign for 1972 reelection.As a noun creeps is
.As a verb creeps is
(creep).creep
English
Etymology 1
From (etyl) crepen, from (etyl) .Verb
- Lizards and snakes crept over the ground.
- One evening, while the Rabbit was lying there alone, watching the ants that ran to and fro between his velvet paws in the grass, he saw two strange beings creep out of the tall bracken near him.
- He tried to creep past the guard without being seen.
- Prices have been creeping up all year.
- Old age creeps upon us.
- the sophistry which creeps into most of the books of argument
- The collodion on a negative, or a coat of varnish, may creep in drying.
- The quicksilver on a mirror may creep .
- a creeping sycophant
- to come as humbly as they used to creep
- The sight made my flesh creep .
Synonyms
* (move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground) crawl * (grow across a surface rather than upwards) * (move slowly and quietly in a particular direction) * (make small gradual changes)Derived terms
* creep up on * creepy / creepy-crawly * give someone the creeps * creep someone outEtymology 2
From the above verb.Noun
(en noun)- Christmas creep'''. Feature '''creep'''. Instruction '''creep'''. Mission ' creep
- Stop following me, you creep !
Derived terms
* bracket creep * Christmas creep * feature creep * focus creep * function creep ((function creep)) * instruction creep ((instruction creep)) * mission creep ((mission creep)) * requirement creep ((requirement creep)) * scope creep * season creepAnagrams
* English irregular verbscreeps
English
Noun
(head)- I get the creeps walking down that street, even in broad daylight.