A Creep Pulls a Trick
Loading the census…
Tap any rung for its meaning.
The H is a stepping stone — borrowed at rung 2 to keep cheek a real word, then given back at the summit. There may be several par routes — the census above shows which ones climbers actually took.
To move slowly and quietly, close to the ground.
Old English 'crēopan' meant to crawl or move slowly, and is related to Dutch 'kruipen' and Old Norse 'krjúpa.' The word has long described the slow, stealthy movement of people, animals, and plants. Its sense of gradual, quiet movement has remained remarkably stable over time.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗A clever act meant to deceive or to entertain.
From Old North French 'trique,' meaning a ruse or deception, related to 'trikier,' meaning to cheat or deceive. The word entered English in the medieval period and quickly broadened to include skillful feats and clever maneuvers. 'Trickery' is a close modern relative.
Full entry on Wiktionary ↗Definitions give each word’s most common meaning — the full entries live at Wiktionary.