— crippler , n. — cripplingly , adv.
/krip"euhl/ , n. , v. , crippled, crippling , adj.
n.
1. Sometimes Offensive.
a. a person or animal that is partially or totally unable to use one or more limbs; a lame or disabled person or animal.
b. a person who is disabled or impaired in any way: a mental cripple.
2. anything that is impaired or flawed.
3. a wounded animal, esp. one shot by a hunter.
4. Carpentry. any structural member shorter than usual, as a stud beneath a window sill.
5. Delaware Valley. a swampy, densely overgrown tract of land.
v.t.
6. to make a cripple of; lame.
7. to disable; impair; weaken.
adj.
8. Carpentry. jack 1 (def. 29).
[ bef. 950; ME cripel, OE crypel; akin to CREEP ]
Syn. 7. maim. CRIPPLE, DISABLE mean to injure to a degree that interferes with normal activities. To CRIPPLE is to injure in such a way as to deprive of the use of a member, particularly a leg. DISABLE, a more general word, implies any such illness, injury, or impairment: disabled by an attack of malaria; disabled by a wound.