cripple
[ krip-uh l ]
/ ˈkrɪp əl /
noun
verb (used with object), crip·pled, crip·pling.
to make a cripple of; lame.
to disable; impair; weaken.
adjective
Carpentry.
jack1(def 29).
Origin of cripple
usage note for cripple
When referring to someone for whom it is difficult or impossible to walk or move without some kind of external aid like crutches or a wheelchair, sensitivity is called for. The words
cripple and
crippled are no longer considered appropriate. Although these terms have been in use since before the year 950, since the mid-1900s they have become increasingly uncommon and are now regarded as insulting. Since the late 20th century, the terms
handicapped and
the handicapped, once thought to be acceptable alternatives, have also become somewhat offensive. (
Handicapped remains acceptable, however, in certain set phrases like
handicapped parking. ) Attempts to replace
crippled with the milder euphemistic term
physically challenged were sidetracked by a virtual explosion of satirical imitations like
economically challenged (poor),
ethically challenged (immoral), and
vertically challenged (short). The currently acceptable terms are
disabled and, when referring to groups, the phrase
people with disabilities, or somewhat less commonly,
the disabled. These terms are not only less likely to offend, they are more useful. While
cripple and
crippled traditionally denoted permanent impairments of one or more limbs,
disabled is a broader, more comprehensive word that can refer to many different kinds of physical or mental impairments, whether temporary or permanent.
cripple and crippled are not deemed offensive when referring to an inanimate object or an animal. And cripple can be used freely as a verb, especially metaphorically, as in Failing to upgrade the computer system will cripple our business. See also retarded.
cripple and crippled are not deemed offensive when referring to an inanimate object or an animal. And cripple can be used freely as a verb, especially metaphorically, as in Failing to upgrade the computer system will cripple our business. See also retarded.
OTHER WORDS FROM cripple
crip·pler, noun crip·pling·ly, adverb un·crip·pled, adjectiveWords nearby cripple
crios,
criosphinx,
crip,
cripes,
crippen,
cripple,
cripple creek,
crippling,
cripps,
crise,
criseyde
Example sentences from the Web for cripple
"You would not have called it a 'cripple's gait' a little while ago," interposed Mrs. Stewart.
Cape of Storms |Percival Pollard
British Dictionary definitions for cripple
cripple
/ (ˈkrɪpəl) /
noun
offensive
a person who is lame
offensive
a person who is or seems disabled or deficient in some way
a mental cripple
US dialect
a dense thicket, usually in marshy land
verb
(tr)
to make a cripple of; disable
Derived forms of cripple
crippler, nounWord Origin for cripple
Old English
crypel; related to
crēopan to
creep, Old Frisian
kreppel a cripple, Middle Low German
kröpel
Medical definitions for cripple
cripple
[ krĭp′əl ]
n.
One that is partially disabled or unable to use a limb or limbs.
v.
To cause to lose the use of a limb or limbs.