crook
( crooks plural & 3rd person present) ( crooking present participle) ( crooked past tense & past participle )
1 n-count A crook is a dishonest person or a criminal.
INFORMAL The man is a crook and a liar...
2 n-count The crook of your arm or leg is the soft inside part where you bend your elbow or knee.
usu sing, the N of n
She hid her face in the crook of her arm.
3 verb If you crook your arm or finger, you bend it.
He crooked his finger: `Come forward,' he said. V n
4 n-count A crook is a long pole with a large hook at the end. A crook is carried by a bishop in religious ceremonies, or by a shepherd.
...a shepherd's crook.
5 If someone says they will do something by hook or by crook, they are determined to do it, even if they have to make a great effort or use dishonest means.
♦
by hook or by crook phrase PHR with cl, PHR with v
They intend to get their way, by hook or by crook.
Translation English - Cobuild Collins Dictionary
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"Collins Cobuild English Dictionary for Advanced Learners 4th edition published in 2003 © HarperCollins Publishers 1987, 1995, 2001, 2003 and Collins A-Z Thesaurus 1st edition first published in 1995 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995"