creeper

== English == === Etymology === From Middle English crepere, from Old English crēopere, equivalent to creep +‎ -er. Slang usage derived from phrase give the creeps or creep out (distinct from merely one who creeps). === Pronunciation === (US) IPA(key): /ˈkɹipɚ/ Rhymes: -iːpə(ɹ) === Noun === creeper (plural creepers) A person or a thing that crawls or creeps. Synonym: crawler Any creeping animal (such as a serpent), reptile. (often in the plural) A one-piece garment for infants designed to facilitate access to the wearer's diaper. Synonyms: babygro, creepers, diaper shirt, infant bodysuit, onesie, snapsuit A device which allows a small child to safely roam around a room from a seated or standing position. A metal plate with spikes, designed to be worn with shoes to prevent slipping. A spur-like device strapped to the boot to facilitate climbing. (chiefly in the plural) A small low iron, or dog, between the andirons. An instrument with iron hooks or claws for dredging up items from a well or other water. Any device for causing material to move steadily from one part of a machine to another, such as an apron in a carding machine, or an inner spiral in a grain screen. Any plant (as ivy or periwinkle) that grows by creeping, especially a climbing plant of the genus Parthenocissus. Synonym: climber A treecreeper. Strophitus undulatus, a freshwater mussel of the eastern United States. (nautical) A small four-hooked grapnel used to recover objects dropped onto the sea bed. The lowest gear of some tractors or trucks: one with so low a gear ratio that the vehicle creeps along at the speed of a human's slow walk. Synonyms: creeper gear, creeper shift A low-profile wheeled platform whereupon one may lie on one's back and gain better access to the roof of a space with very low height (such as the underbody of a vehicle), or a low stool similarly wheeled. Synonym: (lie-down type) cradle (derogatory, slang) A person who creeps people out; a creepy person. Synonyms: creep, creepazoid, creepoid A kind of shoe, usually with a suede upper and a thick crepe sole, associated with various 20th-century subcultures. (cricket) A ball that travels low, near ground level. ==== Derived terms ==== (shoe): brothel creeper (plant): Virginia creeper ==== Translations ====