/krɔ:l; krɔl/
v
1 [I, Ipr, Ip]
(a) move slowly, with the body on or close to the ground, or on hands and knees 爬; 爬行; 匍匐行进
*a snake crawling along (the ground) 在（地上）爬行的蛇
* A baby crawls (around) before it can walk. 婴儿先能（到处）爬, 然後才会走.
* The wounded man crawled to the phone. 那伤者爬到电话跟前.
(b) (of traffic, vehicles, etc) move very slowly （指来往行人、车辆等）缓慢地行进, 徐缓而行
*The traffic crawled over the bridge in the rush-hour. 在高峰时刻桥上的车辆行驶缓慢.
2 [Ipr] ~ with sth (esp in the continuous tenses 尤用于进行时态) be covered with, or full of, things that crawl 爬满; 满是爬行之物
*The ground was crawling with ants. 地上满是蚂蚁.
* (fig 比喻) The area was crawling with (ie was full of) police. 这个地区布满了警察.
3 [I, Ipr] ~ (to sb) (infml derog 口, 贬) try to gain sb's favour by praising him, doing what will please him, etc 拍马屁
*She's always crawling (to the boss). 她老是拍（上司的）马屁.
4 (idm 习语) make one's/sb's flesh crawl/creep => flesh.

n
1 (a) [sing] (derog 贬) very slow pace 极慢的速度
*traffic moving at a crawl 缓慢蠕动的来往车辆.
(b) [C] crawling movement 爬动
*the baby's laborious crawl 婴儿费劲的爬动.
2 (often 常作 the crawl) [sing] fast swimming stroke using overarm movements of each arm in turn, accompanied by rapid kicks with the feet 爬泳; 自由泳
*Can you do the crawl? 你会自由泳吗?