Crow's Nest
Preserved but no longer current.
The "look out'* — originally a barrel fixed to the masthead of an old- fashioned whaling-ship. Crowd, Croud, or Crouth. An ancient Celtic species of fiddle with from three to six strings (Welsh crwth). Hence crowder, a player on a crowd. The last noted player on this instru- ment was John Morgan, who died in 1720.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Crow's Nest” mean?
The "look out'* — originally a barrel fixed to the masthead of an old- fashioned whaling-ship. Crowd, Croud, or Crouth. An ancient Celtic species of fiddle with from three to six strings (Welsh crwth). Hence crowder, a player on a crowd. The last noted player on this instru- ment was John Morgan, who died in 1720.
Is “Crow's Nest” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.