(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English.
1.
The ~ of a ship, an aircraft, or a spacecraft is the people who work on and operate it.
The mission for the ~ of the space shuttle Endeavour is essentially over...
The surviving ~ members were ferried ashore.
N-COUNT-COLL
2.
A ~ is a group of people with special technical skills who work together on a task or project.
...a two-man film ~ making a documentary...
N-COUNT: usu with supp
3.
If you ~ a boat, you work on it as part of the ~.
She was already a keen and experienced sailor, having ~ed in both Merlin and Grayling...
There were to be five teams of three ~ing the boat.
...a fully ~ed yacht.
VERB: V, V n, V-ed
4.
You can use ~ to refer to a group of people you disapprove of. (INFORMAL)
This ~ of killers and life-wreckers are headed by the mad but cunning Nino Brown.
= bunch, gang
N-SING-COLL: oft N of n disapproval