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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.

Cruke, Cruik, Crewk, n. Also: cruk, crwk, kruc, cruuk; cruike (pl. cruix, cruyx), cruyk, crwik, cruick, krui(c)k; crowk, crouk, krouk; creu(c)k, krewk; croke, croocke. [ME. crok(e, crōc (c 1200), ON. krók-r.]

1. A large metal hook, used for various purposes.(a) 1375 Barb. x. 363.
A cruk thai maid, at thair deuis, Of irn, that wes styth and square c1420 Wynt. v. 3265.
Thai that it in kepyng hade Ware drawyn wytht crukys oure the wall a1500 Henr. Bludy Serk 27.
His nailis wes lyk ane hellis cruk 1532 M. Works Acc. II. 29 b.
For imputting of crukis & bottis to the syling of the wallis 1555–6 Edinb. Old Acc. II. 58.
For … stapillis to the windois and dur, and ij crukis to the font(b) 1548 Aberd. B. Rec. I. 259.
With certane wther varklummes, sic as spowttis, spowcheouris, and cruikis 1587 Prot. Bk. G. Fyiff 45.
Allexander Strattoun … gaif stait and possessioun … be delyuerance in the said Williames handis of the clap and cruik of the said myln 1595 Edinb. Test. XXVIII. 233 b.
Ane litstaris cruik 1641 Edinb. Test. LX. 14 b.
Ane flesh cruik and twa pare clipis(e) 1511 Rentale Dunkeld. fol. 112 b.
In quatuor librarum lie crokis eid. Waltero Georgis piscatori 1574 Edinb. D. Guild Acc. 40.
Tua crokis of irne to gang up the ledderis

b. A hooked staff. 1595 Duncan App.
Pedum, baculus pastoris, a sheephirdes cruke

2. An iron hook in a kitchen chimney on which pots or kettles are hung over the fire (sometimes in the middle of the floor).(a) 1384 Exch. R. III. 110.
In … vasis ligneis, … crukis, formis, tabulis, sperris [etc.] 14.. Acts I. 44/2.
The ayre sal hafe … a caldrone, a ketill, a brandreth, … a chymnay, … a cruk Ib. 346/2.
All the insicht vithin the impert of the hous (that is to say within the cruke hingand abufe the fire) 1457 Peebles B. Rec. 119.
A fader bed, a cruk, a chak, a chyar 1498 Dunferm. B. Rec. 84.
Ane spynnyne quheill and ane irne cruk 1522 Ib. 209.
Ane cruk and speit 1548 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 136.
Ane irne chymnay with rakkis, cruke, tangis and speitt 1569 Prot. Bk. T. Johnsoun 165.
Ane irnne chymnay, ane irine cruke, ane irne tangis 1589 Antiq. Aberd. & B. III. 190.
In intrometting with and receaving of thair haill gudes and geir beand fra the cruke ben 1671 Wodrow MSS. 4to. XXXVII. No. 7.
The[y] left nether pat nor can, cruke nor tongs, … nor clips for the pote(b) 1490 Mun. Univ. Glasg. II. 256.
For a cruik for the kychin 1529 Reg. Great S. 178/1.
A speit, a guise pan, a lantren, … a cruik 1570 Inverness B. Rec. I. 183.
Ane irne speit, ane crwik 1583 Elgin Rec. I. 172.
Ane tangis, ane irn cruik, ane irn brander 1596 Ib. II. 45.
Cristane Sutherland awouis that scho kinkit with ane key in hir hand thryis upon the cruik in the kitchie 1608 Crim. Trials II. ii. 542.
Thay … tuik ane katt, and drew the samyn nyne tymes throw the said Beigis cruik 1624 M. Works Acc. XVII. 4.
Ane great irne brais with gallous and cruikis … for my lord Erskynes kitching 1649 Mun. Univ. Glasg. III. 538.
The gallows and cruicks quhilk ar upon the chimney for the kitchin 1658 Edinb. Test. LXIX. 119.
Ane vrone chimley with cruick and tungs [sic](c) 1584 Brechin Test. I. 99 b.
Ane iryne crouk 1622 Breadalbane Doc. (Reg. H.) No. 428.
Item of kroukis in the kiching and tour, ij 1662 Crim. Trials III. ii. 611.
John Taylor … went in at the kitchen chimney, and went down upon the crowk(d) 1582 Grant Chart. 156.
Thre speittis, thre krewkis 1583 Brechin Test. I. 73 b.
Ane creuk and ane taingis 1603 Shetland Sheriff Ct. 108.
The smyth of Veisdale is dempt to quite him selff of the stowth of ane crewk of my lordis 1634 Edinb. Test. LVI. 245.
Twa speittis, ane crewk, ane irone brace(e) 1647 Edinb. Test. LXIII. 201.
Ane chimlay with bak, crook, and raxes 1649 Antiq. Aberd. & B. IV. 781.
Thrie crookes. pryce of ilk one sex punds. Sex paire of tongs 1675 Bk. Old Edinb. C. VI. 129.
Two pair of raxxes … ane hinging croocke 1694 Pr. Inchmahome 163.
3 pair of pot boulls, 4 crooks, ane ladle

3. A hook or kneed bolt on which a door or gate is suspended by means of a ‘band’.(a) 1456 Hay I. 119/14.
As the dure turnis about on the herre, and is sustenyt be the crukis 1488 Lanark B. Rec. 2.
For mendyn of Clerkson dur and wyndo, in bandis, and a cruk and nailis 1497 Treas. Acc. I. 334.
To bere the crukis of the irne ȝet of Dunbar fra … Edinburgh to Leith 1503 Reg. Soltre 157.
Item the bands and crukis and thair nalis, ilk cruke ane stane, the bandis viii stane 1532 Ex. Processes (Reg. H.) No. 5 (Elphinston v. Innes).
Ane dowble burdin dur with bandis and crukis of irne 1554–5 Edinb. B. Rec. II. 302.
For ane cruke, … and leid to yet the cruke with 1572 Peebles B. Rec. 337.
To caus mak the crukkis to the port in the new wall 1588 King Cat. 177.
As ane dur is tourned on the cruuks (quhilk in latin ar called cardines)(b) 1590 Wedderburn Compt. Bk. 63.
For twa ruf sparis … to be the barres ȝaet; … for the lok, bandis, and cruikis thairto 1628 Peebles Gleanings 92.
A pund and a halfe of leid to yett the cruikis of the Caffe Knowe durre 1636 Kirkcaldy Presb. 102.
For ane lock, bands, cruik, stapills, & naules to the durr of the said chalmer 1665 Peebles B. Rec. II. 67.
Ane sufficient doore … with cruikes, bonds [etc.] 1700 Foulis Acc. Bk. 277.
To Tom Richie for bands and crulks and helping bands to the barn doores(c) 1552–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 75.
Gevin for ane band and ane crowk to Francis Bell buith 1561–3 Ib. 399.
Half ane stane of leid to yeit crowks of the durris 1603–4 Dundee Acc. .
For 2 crowkis 1 stenchone to ane wyndoe 1684 Elgin Rec. II. 312.
For naills to the pulpit, … for making three crouks(d) 1539–41 M. Works Acc. VII. 19 b.
Crewkis, bandlis, … and vtheris irne grayth 1561–3 Edinb. Old Acc. I. 394.
vij stanis leid and ane halfe to yet the crewks of durris Ib. 415.
To the smyth … for creukis and bottis 1617–8 M. Works Acc. XIV. 12 b.
For sex pund of leid to batt in creuckis 1618 Linlithgow Pal. 338.
For a pair of creukis and bandis to the bak dore 1624 Peebles Gleanings 45.
For thrie quarteris of irne … that was bandis and crewkis aud staippillis to the doore(d, e) 1640 Fam. Innes 167.
Giwin the reed smyth … for twa crookis to the gatte 1675 Stirling Comm. Good MS. 92.
For ane irone crook and lead to the said stable doris 1679 Corshill Baron Ct. 149.
Ane spens doore with croke and bondis 1698 Stirling B. Rec. II. 343.
For four pund lead to run in the crooks of the guard hous door

4. A curved or crooked piece of ground; a corner or nook.Chiefly in the names of special portions of land. 1200–2 Liber Calchou 116.]
[Dimidiam acram terre que vocatur Crokecroft c 1300 Liber Dryburgh 92.
Cum terris que vocantur Crukes Ib.
Illius terre que vocatur Brumcrok, que jacet inter predictas Crukes et prefata prata 1470 Prestwick B. Rec. 7.
Ane akir, callit Our Lade akir, liand in the bog cruk 1512 Reg. Great S. 812/1.
Pratum messuagii … preter le Hors-cruke appellat[um] … in baronia de Kynnard 1557 Prot. Bk. D. Gray 12 b.
That pece of grene reisk callit the lang cruik lyand within the barony Lundy 1589 Glasgow B. Rec. I. 127.
The provest [etc.] … hes … ordanit that the cruikis of the Mynedame be ropit and sauld 1634 Edinb. Test. LVII. 31.
Tua … buttes of land on the west syd of the cruix neirest the corne bairne 1665 Glasgow B. Rec. III. 53.
That halfe aiker of land callit the burne crookis

5. A curve or bend; a curved or bent thing or part. The mone(s) cruke, the waning moon. c 1280 Liber Calchou 94.]
[De Cothlandisforde vsque ad Swarthbrandkruc a1500 Henr. III. 151/46.
Myng al thir in ane mas with the mone cruke c1475 Wall. v. 513.
The crukis off Forth he knawis wondyr weylle ? a 1500 Rec. Kinloss Mon. 113.
Ane well with ane thrawin mowth … or ane crwik in it 1513 Doug. vi. Prol. 21.
Lyke dremys or dotage in the monys cruke Ib. 912/15.
Thai … castys thame euer to spy owt falt and cruyk 1563 Echt-Forbes Chart. 98.
Hauldand sowthwart the said auld dyik to the southwest cruik thairof 1583 Sat. P. xlv. 306.
Heather … Cutted off in the cruik of the moone 1596 Dalr. I. 59/17.
Than lykwyse frome al the kruikes and turnes of the Iles, thay stryue sa stoutlie in vthiris contrare 1622 Elgin Rec. II. 174.
Niniane Dauidsone took out the chalmer key with the crook of the ladill 1650 Strathbogie Presb. 137.
Cutting throgh the endis of some riggs to ane merch stone erected at the cruik of the burne 1657 Aberd. B. Rec. IV. 166.
In the old found ther is ane great cruik which is … dangerous for ships and weshells in the passage

6. An ailment causing curvature or lameness, esp. in horses; a halt or limp. c1500-c1512 Dunb. xxviii. 34.
Off God grit kyndness may ȝe clame, That helpis his peple fra cruke and lame Ib. lxi. 16.
To colleveris than man I skip, That scabbit ar, hes cruik and cald a1661 Rutherford Lett. ii. 2 (J).
If ye mind to walk to heaven, without a cramp or a crook 1659 Melrose R. Rec. I. 235.
Quhich naig he delyverit to him … and upheld the samene frie of crook and cold or onie uther fault