- The definition of a cry is a shedding of tears or a calling out.
An example of a cry is a scream for help.
- Cry is defined as to shed tears or call out.
An example of to cry is to release tears after hearing sad news.
cry
intransitive verb
cried, cry′ing- to make a loud vocal sound or utterance; call out, as for help; shout
- to sob and shed tears, in expressing sorrow, pain, grief, etc.; weep
- to plead or clamor (for)
- to show or suggest a great need (for): problems crying for solution
- to utter its characteristic call: said of an animal
Origin of cry
Middle English crien from Old French crier from Classical Latin quiritare, to wail, shriek (var. of quirritare, to squeal like a pig from an unverified form quis, echoic of a squeal); associated, association in ancient folk etymology with Classical Latin Quirites, Roman citizens (as if meaning “to call the Quirites,” implore their help)- to plead or beg for: to cry quarter
- to utter loudly; shout; exclaim
- to call out (wares for sale, services offered, etc.); announce publicly
- to bring into a specified condition by crying: to cry oneself asleep
noun
pl. cries- a loud vocal sound expressing pain, anger, fright, joy, etc.
- any loud utterance; shout
- an announcement or advertisement called out publicly
- an urgent appeal; plea
- popular report; rumor; rallying call or battle cry; watchword
- the current opinion or fashion
- clamor of the people; public outcry
- a slogan
- a sobbing and shedding of tears; fit of weeping
- the characteristic vocal sound of an animal
- the baying of hounds in the chase
- a pack of hounds
Origin of cry
ME & OFr cri < the v.a far cry
- a great distance; long way
- a thing much different
cry down
cry in one's beer
cry off
cry one's eyes out
cry out
- to shout; yell
- to complain loudly
cry up
in full cry
cry
verb
cried, cry·ing, cries,verb
intransitive- To shed tears, especially as a result of strong emotion such as grief, sorrow, pain, or joy.
- To call loudly; shout.
- To utter a characteristic sound or call. Used of an animal.
- To demand or require immediate action or remedy: grievances crying out for redress.
verb
transitive- To utter loudly; call out.
- To proclaim or announce in public: crying one's wares in the marketplace.
- To bring into a particular condition by weeping: cry oneself to sleep.
- Archaic To beg for; implore: cry forgiveness.
noun
pl. cries,- A loud utterance of an emotion, such as fear, anger, or despair.
- A loud exclamation; a shout or call.
- A fit of weeping: had a good long cry.
- An urgent entreaty or appeal.
- A public or general demand or complaint.
- A common view or general report.
- An advertising of wares by calling out: vendors' cries at the fish market.
- A rallying call or signal: a cry to arms.
- A slogan, especially a political one.
- The characteristic call or utterance of an animal.
- a. The baying of hounds during the chase.b. A pack of hounds.
- Obsolete Clamor; outcry.
- Obsolete A public announcement; a proclamation.
Origin of cry
Middle English crien from Old French crier from Vulgar Latin critāre from Latin quirītāre to cry out perhaps from Quirītēs public officers to whom one would cry out in times of needcry
(third-person singular simple present cries, present participle crying, simple past and past participle cried)
- (intransitive) To shed tears; to weep.
- That sad movie always makes me cry.
- To utter loudly; to call out; to declare publicly.
- (intransitive) To shout, scream, yell.
- (intransitive) To utter inarticulate sounds, as animals do.
- To cause to do something, or bring to some state, by crying or weeping.
- to cry oneself to sleep
- To make oral and public proclamation of; to notify or advertise by outcry, especially things lost or found, goods to be sold, etc.
- to cry goods
- Hence, to publish the banns of, as for marriage.
(plural cries)
- A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
- After we broke up, I retreated to my room for a good cry.
- A shout or scream.
- I heard a cry from afar.
- Words shouted or screamed.
- a battle cry
- (collectively) A group of hounds.
- (intransitive, of an animal) A typical sound made by the species in question.
- "Woof" is the cry of a dog, while "neigh" is the cry of a horse.
- A desperate or urgent request.
From Middle English crien, from Old French crier, ("to announce publicly, proclaim, scream, shout"; > Medieval Latin crīdāre (“to cry out, shout, publish, proclaim”)), from Frankish *krītan (“to cry, cry out, publish”), from Proto-Germanic *krītaną (“to cry out, shout”), from Proto-Indo-European *greyd- (“to shout”). Cognate with Dutch krijten (“to cry”), Middle Low German krīten (“to cry, call out, shriek”), German kreißen (“to cry loudly, wail, groan”), Gothic (kreitan, “to cry, scream, call out”), Middle Irish grith (“a cry”), Welsh gryd (“a scream”).
Alternate etymology connects the Medieval Latin word to Latin queri (“to complain”) through the form quiritare (“to wail, shriek”), though the phonetic and semantic developments are difficult to trace. Middle English crien eventually displaced native Middle English galen (“to cry out”) (from Old English galan), Middle English greden (“to cry out”) (from Old English grǣdan), Middle English yermen (“to bellow, mourn, lament”) (from Old English ġierman), Middle English hooen, hoen (“to cry out”) (from Old Norse hōa), Middle English remen (“to cry, shout”) (from Old English hrīeman, compare Old English hrēam (“noise, outcry, lamentation, alarm”)), Middle English greten, graten (“to weep, cry, lament”) (from Old English grǣtan and Old Norse grāta). More at greet, regret. |
