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1 N‑COUNT [usu pl, oft on N ] A crutch is a stick whose top fits round or under the user's arm, which someone with an injured foot or leg uses to support their weight when walking. □  I can walk without the aid of crutches. □  I was on crutches for a while.

2 N‑SING If you refer to someone or something as a crutch , you mean that they give you help or support. □ [+ of ] He gave up the crutch of alcohol.

3 N‑COUNT Your crutch is the same as your crotch . [mainly BRIT ] □  He kicked him in the crutch.

crux /krʌ ks/ N‑SING The crux of a problem or argument is the most important or difficult part of it which affects everything else. □ [+ of ] He said the crux of the matter was economic policy.

cry ◆◆◇ /kra I / (cries , crying , cried )

1 VERB When you cry , tears come from your eyes, usually because you are unhappy or hurt. □ [V ] I hung up the phone and started to cry. □ [V ] Please don't cry. □ [V + with ] He cried with anger and frustration. □ [V -ing] …a crying baby. ● N‑SING Cry is also a noun. □  A nurse patted me on the shoulder and said, 'You have a good cry, dear.' ●  cry|ing N‑UNCOUNT [usu with poss] □  She had been unable to sleep for three days because of her 13-week-old son's crying.

2 VERB If you cry something, you shout it or say it loudly. □ [V with quote] 'Nancy Drew,' she cried, 'you're under arrest!'. [Also V that] ● PHRASAL VERB Cry out means the same as cry . □ [V P with quote] 'You're wrong, quite wrong!' Henry cried out, suddenly excited. □ [V P that] She cried out that no storm was going to stop her. [Also V P n]

3 N‑COUNT A cry is a loud, high sound that you make when you feel a strong emotion such as fear, pain, or pleasure. □ [+ of ] A cry of horror broke from me. □  With a cry, she rushed forward.

4 N‑COUNT A cry is a shouted word or phrase, usually one that is intended to attract someone's attention. □ [+ of ] Thousands of people burst into cries of 'bravo' on the steps of the parliament. □ [+ for ] Passers-by heard his cries for help.

5 → see also battle cry , rallying cry

6 N‑COUNT You can refer to a public protest about something or an appeal for something as a cry of some kind. [JOURNALISM ] □ [+ of ] There have been cries of outrage about this expenditure. [Also+ for ]

7 N‑COUNT A bird's or animal's cry is the loud, high sound that it makes. □ [+ of ] …the cry of a seagull.

8 → see also crying

9 PHRASE Something that is a far cry from something else is very different from it. □  Their lives are a far cry from his own poor childhood.

10 EXCLAM You use the expression for crying out loud in order to show that you are annoyed or impatient, or to add force to a question or request. [INFORMAL , SPOKEN , FEELINGS ] □  I mean, what's he ever done in his life, for crying out loud?

11to cry your eyes out → see eye

12a shoulder to cry on → see shoulder

▸  cry off PHRASAL VERB If you cry off , you tell someone that you cannot do something that you have agreed or arranged to do. □ [V P ] She was invited to a party but had to cry off at the last minute.

▸  cry out

1 PHRASAL VERB If you cry out , you call out loudly because you are frightened, unhappy, or in pain. □ [V P + in ] He was crying out in pain on the ground when the ambulance arrived. □ [V P ] Hart cried out as his head struck rock.

2 → see also cry 2

▸  cry out for PHRASAL VERB If you say that something cries out for a particular thing or action, you mean that it needs that thing or action very much. □ [V P P n] This is a disgraceful state of affairs and cries out for a thorough investigation. COLLOCATIONS cry NOUN 3