crow

A crow is a large, black bird known for its intelligence and its distinctive, harsh "caw." But "crow" is also an expressive verb. To crow can mean to brag or boast loudly—like a victorious athlete who crows about winning a championship. It can also mean to make the loud call of a rooster at dawn. You might say someone is "crowing" about a new job, meaning they are celebrating their good news a bit too loudly.

The word "crow" most commonly refers to the sleek, black bird of the Corvus genus—highly intelligent creatures often seen scavenging in fields or perched atop trees. These birds are famous for their "caw," a sound used to communicate within their complex social flocks. Throughout history, they have been powerful symbols in folklore, representing everything from cleverness to ill omens.

However, "crow" takes on a different life as a verb. It can mean to make a rooster’s loud dawn call, and from that idea it also came to mean to boast loudly and proudly. If someone "crows" about their accomplishments, they are bragging with great enthusiasm—and perhaps a touch of arrogance. For example, "After acing the exam, she couldn't help but crow to her classmates."

The word also appears in a famous idiomatic expression: "to eat crow." This means to be forced to admit you were wrong after taking a strong, boastful position. It adds a layer of humility to a word otherwise associated with pride.

Whether you are observing the clever behavior of a black bird, listening to a rooster at dawn, or describing a friend who is boasting about a win, "crow" connects the natural world to the human impulse to announce success—or occasionally, to admit defeat.