crook
Hooked herding tool
Crook is contained in crooked and that’s a good way to remember its two seemingly divergent meanings.
One crook is a liar, thief, or criminal; the other crook is a bend in a linear thing: A small crook in the river.
A shepherd’s or bishop’s staff, which has a bend, is also called a crook.
If you crook something, especially a body part, you bend it: She crooked her neck to hold the phone to her ear.
One who steals
- robberOne who steals by force
- burglarOne who breaks in
- felonSerious crime perpetrator
- gangsterCriminal organization member
bandit · outlaw · pickpocket · mugger · conman · fraudster · scoundrel · villain
Smooth, angleless line
- hookCurved catching device
- angleGeometric measure of rotation
- elbowArm's middle joint
- turnRotational movement
arc · bow · twist · kink · crescent · curvature · flexure · shepherd
Arm's middle joint
One who tends flocks
- crosierEpiscopal ceremonial staff
- pastoralOf countryside or clergy care
- bishopDiocesan clergy head
- flockAnimals gathered together
sheep · herding · walking-stick · cane · hooked · ceremonial · liturgical
Argument against
- scamDishonest money-making scheme
- fraudIntentional criminal trickery
- griftSwindle or petty fraud
- hustleEnergetic, aggressive action
flimflam · sham · hoax · bamboozle · bilk · deception · trickery · charlatan
Illicit political gain
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- malfeasanceUnlawful act by officeholder
nepotism · collusion · payola · sleaze · dirty · dishonest · racketeering · extortion
thief
One who steals
gangster · bandit · outlaw · pickpocket · mugger · conman · fraudster · scoundrel · villain · racketeer
curve
Smooth, angleless line
turn · arc · bow · twist · kink · crescent · curvature · flexure · shepherd · staff
elbow
Arm's middle joint
shepherd
One who tends flocks
flock · sheep · herding · walking-stick · cane · hooked · ceremonial · liturgical
con
Argument against
hustle · flimflam · sham · hoax · bamboozle · bilk · deception · trickery · charlatan · grifter
graft
Illicit political gain
- briberyCorrupt payment for influence
- kickbacksIllegal return payments
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
malfeasance · nepotism · collusion · payola · sleaze · dirty · dishonest · racketeering · extortion · profiteering
- cheaterscheat, cheater, con artist, swindler, deceiver
- Crooksswindler, fraudster, embezzler, con artist, con man
- Outlawsoutlaw, bandit, desperado, highwayman, robber
- roguesrogue, rogues, scoundrel, scoundrels, rascal
- swindlerscon artist, swindler, fraudster, scammer, grifter
- thievesthief, robber, burglar, pickpocket, shoplifter
crookstraight arrow
Honest, principled person
saint · hero · lawman · police officer · cop
crookstraight line
Undeviated continuous path
straightness · straight · linear · unbent · uncurved
- crooked smileAsymmetrical facial expression
- crooked copCorrupt police officer
- shepherd's crookHooked staff for herding
- by hook or crookUsing whatever method necessary
- by hook or by crookUsing whatever method works
- crooked politician
crooked, crookedness, crooks, crookedly, crooking, encroached, by hook or by crook, crookbacked