crowd 1
— crowder , n.
/krowd/ , n.
1. a large number of persons gathered closely together; throng: a crowd of angry people.
2. any large number of persons.
3. any group or set of persons with something in common: The restaurant attracts a theater crowd.
4. audience; attendance: Opening night drew a good crowd.
5. the common people; the masses: He feels superior to the crowd.
6. a large number of things gathered or considered together.
7. Sociol. a temporary gathering of people responding to common stimuli and engaged in any of various forms of collective behavior.
v.i.
8. to gather in large numbers; throng; swarm.
9. to press forward; advance by pushing.
v.t.
10. to press closely together; force into a confined space; cram: to crowd clothes into a suitcase.
11. to push; shove.
12. to fill to excess; fill by pressing or thronging into.
13. to place under pressure or stress by constant solicitation: to crowd a debtor for payment; to crowd someone with embarrassing questions.
14. crowd on sail , Naut. to carry a press of sail.
[ bef. 950; ME crowden, OE cruden to press, hurry; c. MD cruden to push (D kruien ) ]
Syn. 1. CROWD, MULTITUDE, SWARM, THRONG refer to large numbers of people. CROWD suggests a jostling, uncomfortable, and possibly disorderly company: A crowd gathered to listen to the speech. MULTITUDE emphasizes the great number of persons or things but suggests that there is space enough for all: a multitude of people at the market on Saturdays. SWARM as used of people is usually contemptuous, suggesting a moving, restless, often noisy, crowd: A swarm of dirty children played in the street. THRONG suggests a company that presses together or forward, often with some common aim: The throng pushed forward to see the cause of the excitement. 5. proletariat, plebeians, populace. 8. assemble, herd.
Usage . See collective noun .
crowd 2
/krowd/ , n.
an ancient Celtic musical instrument with the strings stretched over a rectangular frame, played with a bow.
Also, crwth .
[ 1275-1325; ME crowd ( e ), var. of crouth crwth CRWTH ]