craw
UK[krɔː]US[krɔː]
n
The crop or stomach of a bird or lower animal.
n
The throat or gullet of a person, especially when viewed as voracious.
Etymology
The word 'craw' entered English from Middle Dutch 'crage' or Middle Low German 'krage', meaning 'neck' or 'throat'. These Germanic terms are thought to be related to the Old English 'crawe', meaning 'crow', likely due to the bird's prominent throat or crop. Over time, its meaning specialized to refer specifically to the crop of a bird, a pouch in the esophagus where food is stored before digestion. The figurative extension to a person's throat, often with connotations of gluttony, reflects the original anatomical focus on an organ of consumption.
Analysis
This word is a simplex loanword from Middle English, originating from Middle Dutch or Middle Low German. It is not productively formed from smaller, recognizable morphemes within modern English spelling.
Examples
The hawk regurgitated the bones from its craw.
He felt the whiskey burn all the way down his craw.
Her words stuck in her craw, leaving her unable to reply.