cratch

Meanings

Verb

• To scratch.

Noun

• A grated crib or manger.
• The vertical planks at the forward end of the hold of a traditional English narrowboat which constrain the cargo and support the top plank or walkway.
• A swelling on a horse's pastern, under the fetlock.

Origin

• From Middle English cratchen, cracchen, alteration of *cratsen, from Old Norse *kratsa or Middle Low German kratsen, krassen, both ultimately from Old High German krazzōn, crazōn, from Proto-Germanic *krattōną, from Proto-Indo-European *gred-, *grod-. Cognate with Icelandic krota ("to engrave"). Compare also Icelandic krassa ("to scrawl"), Danish kradse ("to scratch, scrape, claw"), Swedish kratsa ("to scratch"), Dutch kratsen ("to scratch"), German kratzen ("to scratch").
• From Middle English cratche, cracche, crecche, from Old French creche ("crib, manger"), from Frankish *krippju, from Proto-Germanic *kribjǭ. More at creche, crib.