to crow over one
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To exult over a van- quished or abased person. The allusion is to cocks, who always crow when they have gained a victory.
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 “to crow over one” mean?
To exult over a van- quished or abased person. The allusion is to cocks, who always crow when they have gained a victory.
Is “to crow over one” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.