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Glite Dictionary
crake

crake

1 9.9
A small water bird with a short bill that lives in marshes and reed beds
  • noun
  • /kreɪk/
translation icon : gallineta
  • Theoretically, at least, this species is capable of maintaining populations as a result of long-term policies designed to promote crake-friendly agricultural practices, without actual management of the animals themselves.

Examples

  • When we were watching the Great Spotted Eagles, a very loud Crake was calling nearby.

    Blog text (22)

  • Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

    Blog text (19)

  • I called down a gull, too, which landed on my elbow, a crake, and a sleepy stony owl that tucked one foot up and tried to take a nap on my arm.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • Atwood, Margaret. "The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake in Context." PMLA 119.3 (2004): 513-17.

    Academic text (2016)

  • While birdwatching in the marsh, we spotted a crake moving silently among the reeds.

  • The crake is known for its distinctive calls that echo across the wetlands at dusk.

  • As the sun set over the lake, we heard the familiar sound of a crake hidden in the tall grass.

Compounds

spotted crake
  • UK
9.9

A small brown water bird with spots that lives in swamps and marshes

Surface Forms

crake singular
crakes plural

Etymology

The word crake comes from an old name that copies the bird's sound, like 'crake, crake'. The same root appears in corncrake, so a crake is a small marsh bird named after its sharp, repeating call.