/ kruːd; NAmE / adjective , noun
■ adjective ( cruder , cru·dest )
1.
simple and not very accurate but giving a general idea of sth :
In crude terms , the causes of mental illness seem to be of three main kinds.
2.
( of objects or works of art ) simply made, not showing much skill or attention to detail :
a crude drawing of a face
3.
( of people or the way they behave ) offensive or rude, especially about sex
SYN vulgar :
crude jokes / language
4.
[ usually before noun ] ( of oil and other natural substances ) in its natural state, before it has been treated with chemicals :
crude oil / metal
► crude·ly adverb :
a crudely drawn ship
To put it crudely, the poor are going without food so that the rich can drive cars.
► crude·ness noun [ U ]
■ noun
(also ˌcrude ˈoil ) [ U ] oil in its natural state, before it has been treated with chemicals :
50 000 barrels of crude
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English : from Latin crudus raw, rough.