-pə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English crepere, from Old English crēopere, from crēopan to creep + -ere -er — more at creep
1. : one that creeps ; especially : an animal (as an insect or reptile) having a creeping gait or locomotion
2.
a. archaic : a servile opportunist
b. obsolete : a reporter of odd bits for newspapers : a free-lance hack writer
3. : any plant that creeps: as
a. : hedge bindweed
b. : wild cucumber c
c. : trumpet creeper
d. : virginia creeper
4. : any of various rather small birds that creep or clamber over trees and bushes searching for insects: as
a. : any member of the family Certhiidae
b. : any of several American warblers — see honeycreeper , tree creeper , wall creeper
5. : any of various tools or implements designed to assist a man, animal, or machine to advance or climb: as
a. : a fixture with iron points worn on the shoe to prevent slipping (as on ice) — usually used in plural
b. : climbing iron — usually used in plural
c. : climber 2b
6. : grapnel
7. : a device for supplying or moving material in a steady flow: as
a. : an endless belt or chain conveyor
b. : a spiral or screw conveyor (as for grain)
8. creepers plural : crockets
9.
a. : a genetic anomaly of the domestic fowl marked by shortening and thickening of the long bones in the heterozygote and completely lethal when homozygous — compare achondroplasia
b. or creeper fowl : an individual exhibiting this anomaly
10. : a garment similar to a romper and suitable for wear by children while creeping — usually used in plural; compare crawler
11. : a small frame or platform mounted on casters, used for supporting the knees when scrubbing floors or the body when working under an automobile
12. cricket : a bowled ball that rolls along the ground after pitching