intransitive verb
- to move slowly by dragging the body along the ground, as a worm
- to go on hands and knees; creep
- to move or go slowly or feebly
- to move or act in an abjectly servile manner
- to swarm or teem (with crawling things)
Origin:
ME craulen < ON krafla < Gmc base *krab-, *kreb-, to scratch (> Ger krabbeln): for IE base see crab