Definition

1. Noun:
   • A terrestrial worm that burrows into and helps aerate soil; often surfaces when the ground is cool or wet; used as bait by anglers: A type of worm, such as an earthworm or nightcrawler, commonly used for fishing.
   • A person who crawls or creeps along the ground: Literally, someone moving on their hands and knees or in a prone position.
   • A person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage: A derogatory term for someone who behaves in a servile or obsequious manner to curry favor.

Examples of Usage

• Noun (Worm):
  • The fisherman dug for crawlers in the damp soil.
  • After the rain, the lawn was covered with crawlers.
• Noun (Person who crawls):
  • The baby was a fast crawler, moving from room to room.
  • The soldier advanced as a crawler through the muddy trench.
• Noun (Servile person):
  • He was nothing but a crawler, always agreeing with the boss to get a promotion.
  • She refused to be a crawler and spoke her mind honestly.

Advanced Usage

• "Social crawler": (Informal) A person who excessively flatters or ingratiates themselves within social circles to gain status or acceptance.
  • He was known as a social crawler, always complimenting the most popular people at the party.

Variants and Related Words

• Crawl (verb): To move on hands and knees; to behave obsequiously.
  • The baby learned to crawl.
  • He would crawl to anyone in authority.
• Crawling (noun/adj): The action of moving on hands and knees; (of a place) full of people or things.
  • The crawling of infants is an important developmental stage.
  • The market was crawling with tourists.

Synonyms

• For the worm: Earthworm, nightcrawler, angleworm.
• For the servile person: Sycophant, toady, bootlicker, fawner, flatterer.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Phrases

• Crawl to someone: To behave in a very humble or flattering way towards someone to gain their favor.
  • He's always crawling to the manager, hoping for special treatment.

Related Idioms

• Crawl out of the woodwork: (Of people) to appear suddenly and in large numbers, especially when they are unwanted.
  • After he won the lottery, old acquaintances began to crawl out of the woodwork.
• Make someone's skin crawl: To cause someone to feel disgust, fear, or extreme discomfort.
  • The way he lies so smoothly makes my skin crawl.

Noun

1. terrestrial worm that burrows into and helps aerate soil; often surfaces when the ground is cool or wet; used as bait by anglers
2. a person who crawls or creeps along the ground
3. a person who tries to please someone in order to gain a personal advantage