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A Dictionary of the Older Scottish Tongue (up to 1700)

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First published 1937 (DOST Vol. I).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.

Crepe, Creip, v. Also: crep, creipe; p.t. crape, crap, crappe, crop; crepit, creipt; p.p. cropyn, -in, -en, croipin, croppin, -en, cropne; cruppin, cruippen, crouppen. [ME. crepe(n, OE. créopan (p.t. créap, p.p. *ᵹe-cropen).]

1. intr. Of persons or animals: To creep or crawl. To crepe on kneis, to kneel.(a) a1400 Leg. S. xxvi. 41.
In his credil, ore he cuth crepe, Thus he be-gane to God seke Ib. xxxix. 240.
A serpent come crepand c1420 Wynt. iii. 876.
In tyll our cutkane nowe yhe crepe Ib. iv. 1370.
Ane eddyr, lach on erd crepand a1500 Henr. Orph. 272.
Than Ixioun out of the quhele can crepe c1552 Lynd. Mon. 5491.
Than sall boith men, wemen, and bairnis, Cum crepand furth of howe cauernis 1570-3 Bann. Trans. 84.
Ihone Knox … creping vpon his club, came in befoir them(b) c1460 Thewis Wysmen 129.
Thai … nocht our oft creip the cors one kneis a1500 Henr. Fab. 449.
To mak ȝow blyith, I wald creip on my wame 15.. Clar. iii. 722.
Whyllis scho wald … out throw the hedgis creip c1552 Lynd. Mon. 1012.
Cauld erth salbe thy fude, also, And creipand on thy breist sall go 1560 Rolland Seven S. 1779.
Quhen he saw that the serpent did creip Towart the creddill 1567 G. Ball. 175.
Ane cursit fox … , Deuoring scheip, quhill he mycht creip c1590 J. Stewart 14/70.
Sum in cauerne did creip to be assuird 1596 Dalr. II. 321/18.
A certane man … the leddir setting to the castell walis, creipis first in him selfe(b) a1400 Leg. S. xvi. 665.
Quhare his modir lay he socht, & crape vndir hyre mantil rath c1420 Wynt. ii. 1194.
He persawyde that kyngys fyve Crape in a cove to sawffe thare lyve a1500 Henr. Fab. 336.
Betuix ane burde and the wall scho crap c1475 Wall. vi. 627.
Full law thai crap, quhill thai war out off sicht a1500 Doug. K. Hart 313.
King Hart intill ane previe closet crappe c1500-c1512 Dunb. G. Targe 133.
Than crap I throu the leuis, and drew nere 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 47.
Thai … crap in vnder the feit of the goddes a1605 Montg. Son. xlvii. 1.
Ha, lytill dog, in happy pairt thou crap 1590 Burel Pilgr. i. xxxiii.
The wildbeists crap doun quietly, The wadder wes so rud 1650 Stirling Ant. IV. 156.
She … crap beneath a bed to hide herself(b) 1572 Inverness B. Rec. I. 211.
The said horse … tuike the bottis and crepit on his wambe lyke ane dog 1640 Kirkcaldy Presb. 158.
She … creipt softlie upon her hands and feete out of the hall(c) c1409-1436 Kingis Q. st. 182.]
[Quho that from hell war croppin onys in hevin a1500 Doug. K. Hart 368.
Be that wes Confort croppin in our the wall c1500 Crying of Play 79.
Scho … pischit fyf quhalis … That cropyn [B. croppin] war in hir count for girth

2. Of things: To move slowly or gradually. c1420 Wynt. i. 605.
The craggys and the rockys all Crape to gyddyre in ane walle Ib. iv. 1222.
All that ryfft togyddyre crape 1535 Stewart 56650.
The sone neirhand the erd did creip

b. To shrink; to contract. 1525 Dundee B. Laws 546.
That nane of the said craft sall nocht stent nor draw na claithis that it may creip in agane be weting of it 1597 Misc. Spald. C. I. 113.
Catheren Smart … was apprehendit lyand deid, croppin all togidder

3. fig. To enter gently or quietly; to come in unobtrusively or secretly.Frequent in p.p. croppin (etc.) between 1570 and 1625.(a) a1500 Henr. Rob. & M. 77.
Be that sum pairte of Mawkynis aill Outthrow his hairt cowd creip 1513 Doug. ii. v. 8.
Soft vapour of sleip Apon thar wery lymmys fast doith creip 1562-3 Winȝet I. 43/14.
That na vnworthy persoun mycht quietlie creip to the ministerie off the altare 1567 Sat. P. iv. 156.
For as the woirme … the tre consumis … , So wemen men, fra thay in credite creip a1578 Pitsc. I. 50/20.
This William … creipand peace and peace in to the kingis consait 1608 Highland P. III. 114.
Seing my ould aige dayle crepis on 1658 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 173.
Finding that the forsaids abusses are peice and piece creiping in againe within this toune(b) 1513 Doug. ii. iv. 51.
The onkowth dreid into thar brestis crap 1563-1570 Buch. Wr. 44.
Within schort tyme … he crap in credence agane be ane other dur a1605 Montg. Son. xxxviii. 4.
I wyt acquentance that in credit crap 1596 Dalr. II. 91/4.
Than in religious places crap ydlenes, deliciousnes, and al bodylie plesure 1600-1610 Melvill 77.
Under thair winges crape in craftie fellowes 1606 Birnie Kirk-b. x. 14.
Before the Kirk-buriall crop in Ib. xii. 16.
When this corruption crop in(c) 1558 Q. Kennedy Tractive 124.
Quhat blindness, quhat furie and wodness, is croppin in the hartis of Christin men 1562-3 Winȝet I. 119/5.
Superstitioun, or ony abuissis onyways croppin in religioun Ib. 132/13.
Idolatrie … croipin in the Kirk 1570 St. A. Kirk S. 339.
Gyf ony abuse was cropin in in this congregatioun be his negligence 1584 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 108.
For reformatioun of sindrie abussis croppin in the yeiris bigane in the policie of the kirk 1596 Dalr. I. 326/1.
Quhateuir ignorance, vice, or corruptione of maniris afor had cropne in amang the peple 1622 Conv. Burghs III. 124.
Reforming of the deceat croppin in of late in the making … of plaiding and cairsays 1640 Cunningham Journal 20.
The … seeds of ydle ceremonies have … cropen in to the Church of Scotland(b) 1583 Bk. Univ. Kirk II. 633.
To practise … for overthrow of religion, be moyen of freinds cruppin in Court 1586 Thanes of Cawdor 189.
Thift … and uthiris kyndis of abussis quhilk ar latlie cruppin in 1589 Dundee B. Laws 522.
Heffing respect to the gryt hurt … cruippin in day be day of lait 1600-1610 Melvill 225.
The corruptiounes and abbusses that war crouppen within the Kirk 1638 Stirling B. Rec. I. 179.
The grit abuse that hes laitlie cruppin in within the same [burgh]