Meanings
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1
adj
Made or done in a simple, rough way; not skilfully finished.
They built a crude shelter out of branches and leaves.
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2
adj
Rude or offensive, especially about sex or bodily functions.
He made a crude remark that embarrassed everyone.
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3
adj
In a natural, raw state before being processed.
The price of crude oil rose sharply this week.
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4
noun
Oil in its natural, unprocessed state.
The first barrels of crude were sold in Pennsylvania in 1859.
Thesaurus
Etymology
From Middle English crude, borrowed from Latin crūdus (“raw, bloody, uncooked, undigested, crude”). Doublet of crudo, from Italian. Cognate with Old English hrēaw (“raw, uncooked”) via Proto-Indo-European *krewh₂- (“raw blood”); more at raw.
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