Word
crew
US/ˈkɹu/
UK/kɹˈuː/
Definitions
01working group
n. a group of people who work together on a ship, aircraft, or a film set.
n. the group of people who work on and operate a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft, or the technical staff of a film or play.
“The captain thanked the crew for their hard work during the long flight.”
“The film crew spent three weeks on location in the desert, enduring harsh conditions to capture the necessary footage for the opening sequence.”
Antonyms
02group of friends
n. a group of friends who spend a lot of time together.
n. a social circle or group of associates, often used to imply a strong sense of loyalty or shared identity.
“I'm heading to the cinema with my whole crew tonight.”
“He showed up at the party with his usual crew, a tight-knit group of artists and musicians he had known since university.”
Informal · Slang
03rowing sport
n. the sport of racing in long, narrow boats using oars.
n. the sport of competitive rowing, particularly at the collegiate level in the United States.
“She joined the university crew team and practices on the river every morning.”
“The annual crew race between the two rival universities attracts thousands of spectators to the riverbanks each spring.”
American English
Synonyms
04to work as a member
v. to work as a member of a crew on a boat or plane.
v. to serve as a member of a crew; often used with 'on' or 'for'.
“He spent the summer crewing on a large yacht in the Mediterranean.”
“After years of training, she was finally invited to crew for one of the most prestigious racing teams in the international circuit.”
Formal
Usage
Often used as an intransitive verb followed by a prepositional phrase.
Real-World Examples
“I had the chance to speak to the crew in space as their voyage was nearing its end.” “Flight crew dropped the device into a container of water, Wodecki says.” “Who are the crew - and what are they taking to the Moon?” Etymology
From Middle English crue, from Old French creue (“an increase, recruit, military reinforcement”), the feminine past participle of creistre (“grow”), from Latin crescere (“to arise, grow”).
Probably of Brythonic origin. Compare Middle Welsh creu (“pigsty, hovel, stockade”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Idioms
skeleton crew — A crew consisting of the minimum number of personnel needed to maintain and operate the basic functions of something, such as a business, a factory, or a ship.
Domains
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/crew