creep

verb

1. 1.

   Move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground

2. 2.

   intransitive

   To move slowly and quietly in a particular direction.

3. 3.

   To move in a stealthy or secret manner; to move imperceptibly or clandestinely; to steal in; to insinuate itself or oneself.

4. 4.

   intransitive

   To move slowly with the abdomen close to the ground.

5. 5.

   intransitiveof plants

   To grow across a surface rather than upwards.

6. 6.

   To have a sensation as of insects creeping on the skin of the body; to crawl.

noun

1. 1.

   A relatively small gradual change, variation or deviation (from a planned value) in a measure.

2. 2.

   A slight displacement of an object; the slight movement of something.

3. 3.

   uncountable

   The gradual expansion or proliferation of something beyond its original goals or boundaries, considered negatively.

4. 4.

   agriculture

   A barrier with small openings used to keep large animals out while allowing smaller animals to pass through.

5. 5.

   A pen that is fenced so that young animals can enter but adults cannot

6. 6.

   The movement of something that creeps (like worms or snails).

Inflected forms

Grammatical variations of the same word.

• creepsnounPlural form

  A disease of cattle and sheep attributed to a dietary deficiency.

• creepingnounInflected form

  A slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body.

• creepernounInflected form

  Any plant (as ivy or periwinkle) that grows by creeping.

Compound terms

Established multiword terms.

• creeping bentnounCompound term

  Common pasture or lawn grass spread by long runners.

• creeping bentgrassnounCompound term

  Common pasture or lawn grass spread by long runners.

• creeping buglenounCompound term

  Low rhizomatous European carpeting plant having spikes of blue flowers.

• creeping buttercupnounCompound term

  Perennial European herb with long creeping stolons.

• creeping charlienounCompound term

  A loosestrife vine.

• creeping crowfootnounCompound term

  Perennial European herb with long creeping stolons.

Related words

Connected by subject or meaning, not by word formation.

• creepy-crawlynounRelated term

  An animal that creeps or crawls (such as worms or spiders or insects).