What does crine mean?
Crine is a chiefly Scottish and northern English verb meaning to shrink, shrivel, or draw back, whether in response to physical cold and discomfort or, by extension, to shrink away in fear or reluctance. A person might crine at an icy wind, and plants or other things may be said to crine when they wither or contract. The word belongs to the traditional dialect vocabulary of Britain rather than to standard modern English, so it is rarely encountered outside regional writing, folklore, and older literature. For readers familiar with standard English, crine sits alongside better-known words such as shrink and flinch, but its distinctive regional flavour makes it useful for evoking a particular sense of place. Anyone using crine today should expect many readers not to know it, which can be either a drawback or a deliberate stylistic choice.
verbTo shrink, shrivel, or draw back, especially from cold, pain, or fear. Chiefly used in Scots dialect.
- To shrink or draw back from cold, pain, or fear.
- (Of things) to shrivel or wither.
"The old man crined at the bitter wind cutting across the moor."
"He crined beneath the icy blast sweeping down the glen."
"The leaves crined and browned long before autumn arrived."
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of crine
Crine is recorded as a dialectal verb of northern Britain, appearing in Scots usage where it denotes shrinking or shrivelling. Its precise ultimate origin is obscure, and dictionaries treat it as a word of uncertain derivation rather than tracing it confidently to a specific root. It has remained a regional rather than standard term throughout its recorded history.
How crine is actually used
Crine is a regional word confined largely to Scotland and parts of northern England; it would sound archaic or unfamiliar elsewhere. It carries no strong connotation, but because most readers outside these regions will not know it, writers should use it deliberately for local colour rather than clarity.
Easily confused with crine
Cringe is the standard English word for recoiling in embarrassment or fear, while crine is a rarer Scots term for physically shrinking or shrivelling.
Brine is salty water; despite sounding identical, it has no relation to crine.