What is the Latin word for crawl?

The usual Latin words for “crawl” are ostreārius, Măcrŏbĭus, rēpō; also rēptō, serpō, ingredior. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

English → Latin

“crawl” in Latin

ostreāriusof or pertaining to oysters Măcrŏbĭusa Roman grammarian at the end of the fourth century, author of a commentary on Cicero's rēpōto creep, crawl rēptōto crawl or creep (over or through)serpōto creep, crawl, move slowly (of an animal); to move slowly or imperceptibly, to creep in or along, proceed gradually, t ingrediorto go into or onto, enter; to enter upon, engage in, apply oneself to something; to enter upon, begin, commence quadrupēsgalloping; moving on all fours; four-legged, quadrupedal

Riddle & Arnold A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon, 1864

crawl s.

ostrearium: ostrearum vivarium (an artificial oyster-bed, Vid: Plin., 9, 54, 79; Macrobius, Sat., 2, 11).

crawl v.

repere: reptare (as well of animals, with or without legs, as of persons who move on their hands and feet): serpere (in this meaning of serpents only; of worms, snails, etc., repere must be used): to crawl on one’s hands and feet, reptare per manus et genua; quadrupede gradu repere; to any place, aliquo: crawling on hands and feet, quadrupes; more bestiarum quadrupes: to crawl forth from or out of anything, erepere, prorepere ex re: to crawl into anything, repere in aliquid; irrepere alicui rei or in aliquid (in order merely to get into it); abdere se in aliquid, not in aliqua re (for the sake of concealment): to crawl into all corners, perreptare in omnibus latebris: to crawl underneath the stairs or the stair-case, abdere se in scalarum latebras: to come crawling along, arrepere; arreptare: to crawl forth, prorepere (e.g., ad solarium proximum, Suet., Claud., 10): to crawl from their holes, prorepere e cavis terrae (e.g., cochleae, Plin.): erepere (Plaut., Varr.): ereptare (Sen.). To crawl up, erepere (per aspera et devia ad aliquem, Suet., ; in puppim, Lucan.); surrepere (forth from beneath): to crawl behind, subrepere (e.g., murum, Varr.) to crawl under, subrepere (e.g., sub tabulas, Cic.): to crawl down, derepere (e.g., from a tree, Phaedrus): to crawl down trees backward, arborem aversum (am, os, as, etc.) derepere (Plin.).

To move slowly, repere (to move, travel, etc., slowly, Hor., Nep.); gradi lente: tarde ire or ingredi: tardo pede or gradu incedere: lente incedere: tarde moveri (to move on slowly): fessa aegre trahere membra (from fatigue): to crawl along on the road, repere: iter facere tarde: tarde procedere (to move on, or get on very slowly); lente et paullatim procedere (slowly and by degrees): to crawl through the town, the streets, perreptare oppidum, plateas (Plaut.). To crawl up hills, montes erepere (i. e., in travelling; Hor., 1, 5, 79).

Quick answer

What is the Latin word for crawl?: The usual Latin words for “crawl” are ostreārius, Măcrŏbĭus, rēpō; also rēptō, serpō, ingredior. The right choice depends on the sense; see the distinctions below.

Entry from J. E. Riddle & T. K. Arnold, A Copious and Critical English–Latin Lexicon (rev. C. Anthon, New York: Harper, 1864), digitised by Fergus J. P. Walsh, CC BY-SA 4.0; Latin markup adapted by latindictionary.co.