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WEST lived with his wife, Rosemary. In 1994, the Wests were arrested (ARREST) for killing several people, mostly girls and young women, and burying their bodies under the house. The house they lived in has since been destroyed and replaced with a small park. $\rightarrow$ see WEST, FRED
**crone** /kroʊn/ *n derog* an old woman, especially one who is ugly or nasty
**Cro·nen·berg**, David /ˈkroʊnənbɜːɡǁ-bɜːrɡ/ (1943–) a Canadian film DIRECTOR whose films such as *The Fly* and *Crash* are often violent and shocking
**Cron·kite**, Walter /ˈkrɒŋkaɪtǁˈkrɑː-, -'wɔːltər/ (1916–) a US television news reporter who was the ANCHORMAN (=the person who reads the news and introduces the reports) for CBS news from 1962 to 1980. His opinions were respected and trusted by many Americans.
**Cro·nus** /ˈkroʊnəs/ also **Kro·nos** /ˈkroʊnɒsǁ-nɑːs/ in Greek MYTHOLOGY, a son of URANUS and one of the TITANS, who became ruler of the world until he was defeated by ZEUS. In Roman mythology his name is SATURN.
**cro·ny** /ˈkroʊni/ *n infinl, sometimes derog* a friend or companion, especially of a person in a position of power: *The mayor's always doing favours for his cronies.*
**crook**¹ /krʊk/ *n* **1** *infml* a very dishonest person; especially a criminal: *That second-hand car dealer is nothing but a crook -- his cars are either stolen or unsafe to drive.* **2** a bend or curve: *She carried the parcel in the crook of her arm.* **3** a long stick or tool with a curved end: *a shepherd's crook* $\rightarrow$ see also **by hook or by crook** (HOOK)
**crook**² *v* [T] to bend: *He crooked his finger, signalling me to follow him.*
**crook**³ *adj AustrE infml* **1** sick; ill: *I'm feeling a bit crook today.* **2** (of things) nasty; bad: *The food was crook.*
**crook·ed** /ˈkrʊkəd/ *adj* **1** not straight; twisted; bent: *a crooked street* **2** *infml* dishonest: *a crooked politician* **---ly** *adv* **---ness** *n* [U]
**croon** /kruːn/ *v* [I;T] **1** to sing (usually old slow popular songs) with feeling: *He crooned into the microphone.* **2** to sing gently in a low soft voice: *She crooned a lullaby.*
**croon·er** /ˈkruːnər/ *n old use or humor* an entertainer who croons. A famous example is Bing Crosby, sometimes called 'the old crooner' in an AFFECTIONATE way.
**crop**¹ /krɒpǁkrɑːp/ *n* **1** [often pl.] a plant or plant product such as grain, fruit, or vegetables grown by a farmer: *Wheat is a widely grown crop in Britain and North America. | The heavy rain did a lot of damage to the crops.* $\rightarrow$ see also CASH CROP, CATCH CROP, SUBSISTENCE CROP **2** the amount of such a product that is grown and gathered in a single season or place: *We've had the biggest wheat crop ever this year. | a record crop of apples |* (fig.) *this year's crop of new students* **3** a baglike part of a bird's throat where food is stored **4** a short riding whip **5** [C usually sing.] hair cut very short: *I don't think a crop suits her - it makes her look like a prisoner.*
**crop**² *v* **-pp-** **1** [T] (of an animal) to bite off and eat the tops of (plants): *The sheep cropped the grass.* **2** [T] to cut (a person's hair or a horse's tail) short **3** [I+adv] (of a plant) to produce a crop: *The potatoes have cropped well this year.*
**crop out** /up *phr v* [I] (of rocks etc) to show above the surface of the ground $\rightarrow$ see also OUTCROP
**crop up** *phr v* [I] *infml* to happen or appear unexpectedly: *Something has cropped up at work so I'll be late home tonight.*
**'crop ,circle** also **corn circle** *n* any of a variety of patterns that began appearing in the fields of farms in England and some other European countries in the late 1980s and the 1990s. No one has offered a completely satisfactory explanation of where the crop circles come from, and some people think they are the work of beings from outside the Earth.
**crop·per**¹ /ˈkrɒpərǁˈkrɑː-/ *n* a person or thing that crops
**cropper**² *n BrE* **come a cropper** *slang* **a)** to fall heavily **b)** to fail completely
**'crop ,spraying** also **'crop ,dusting** *n* [U] the spreading of insect-killing chemical powders and liquids over crops, especially from a low-flying plane
**'crop top** *n* a type of women's shirt that does not cover the stomach
**cro·quet** /ˈkroʊkeɪ, -kiǁkroʊˈkeɪ/ *n* [U] a game played on grass in which players knock wooden balls thro (=small metal arches) with a MALLET (=long-handled hammer)
CULTURAL NOTE In the UK, croquet is mostly thought of as a game played by UPPER-CLASS people. It was popular in the past, but is not often played now, except in parks and gardens. In the US, croquet is usually played by families or children in their own garden.
**cro·quette** /krəʊˈket/ *n* a small rounded mass of crushed meat, fish, potato etc covered with egg and BREADCRUMBS and cooked in deep fat
**crore** /krɔːr/ *n pl.* **crore** or **crores** *IndE & PakE* ten million; 100 LAKHS: *crores of/six crore of rupees*
**Cros·by**, Bing /ˈkrɒzbiǁˈkrɔːz-, bɪŋ/ (1904–77) a US singer and film actor who was famous as a CROONER (=someone who sings in a soft, gentle voice), and who appeared in many humorous films with Bob HOPE. He is best known for the song *White Christmas* from the film *Holiday Inn* (1942).
**cro·sier**, **crozier** /ˈkroʊʒər, -ziər/ *n* a long stick with a decorative curved end, carried by a BISHOP
**cross**¹ /krɒsǁkrɔːs/ *n* **1** a mark (x or +) often used **a)** as a sign of where something is or should be **b)** as a sign that something is incorrect **c)** as the signature of a person who cannot write **2** an upright post with a bar crossing it near the top, on which people were tied or nailed and left to die as a punishment in ancient times: *Christ's death on the cross* **3** (often cap.) this shape as the sign of the Christian faith (because Christians believe that Jesus Christ was killed on a cross): *Jesus hanging on the Cross | medieval wars between Cross and Crescent (=the Christian and Muslim religions)* $\rightarrow$ see also CROSS² **4** any object, structure, or picture in this shape, used for decoration or worn as a sign of the Christian faith: *She wore a small gold cross on a chain. | a wooden cross on his grave* $\rightarrow$ see also CRUCIFIX, MALTESE CROSS **5** a decoration of this shape worn as an honour (a MEDAL), especially for military bravery: *He won the George Cross during the war.* **6** [(between)] a mixture of two different things or qualities: *The taste is a cross between coffee and chocolate.* $\rightarrow$ see also CROSS² **7** a cause of sorrow or suffering which tests your patience or goodness: *Everyone has a cross to bear in life.* $\rightarrow$ see also RED CROSS, the sign of the cross (SIGN)
**cross**² *v* **1** [I;T] to go, pass, or reach across (something): *The soldiers took three days to cross the desert. | a railway line that crosses the country from coast to coast | Make sure there's no traffic before you cross (the road).* **2** [I;T] to place, lie, or pass across each other: *I'll meet you where the path crosses the main road. | Jean crossed her arms.* $\rightarrow$ see also CROSSED **3** [I;T] to pass in opposite directions: *I got your letter the day after I sent mine; they must have crossed in the post.* **4** [T(with)] to cause (an animal or plant) to breed with one of another kind: *This flower has been produced by crossing several different varieties.* $\rightarrow$ see also CROSS¹, CROSSBREED **5** [T] (in Britain) to draw two lines across (a cheque) to show that it must be paid into a bank account $\rightarrow$ compare OPEN **6** [T] to make a hand movement down and across (yourself) as a religious act: *She crossed herself as she left the church.* **7** [I;T] (in football, HOCKEY etc) to kick or pass (the ball) across the field **8** [T] to oppose the plans or wishes of: *Anne hates being crossed, so don't argue with her.* $\rightarrow$ see also DOUBLE-CROSS **9** **cross my heart (and hope to die)** *infml* (used when making a promise): *I didn't do it, cross my heart!* **10 cross one's mind** to come into your thoughts: *It didn't even cross my mind that he would be upset.* **11 cross someone's palm (with silver)** to give money to someone, especially so that they will tell you what is going to happen to you in the future **12 cross swords with** to argue or openly disagree with: *This isn't the first time he has crossed swords with the party leader.* **13 cross the Rubicon** to make a decision or take an action that cannot later be changed (from the action taken by Julius Caesar in crossing the River Rubicon into Italy in 49 BC, against the orders of the Roman Senate) **14 not to cross your bridges before you come/get to them** not to waste time thinking about difficulties which may never happen $\rightarrow$ see also dot the i's and cross the t's (DOT), keep your fingers crossed (FINGER)