cripple

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkrɪp(ə)l/

noun

dated or offensive
  • a person who is unable to walk or move properly through disability or because of injury to their back or legs.
  • a person with a severe limitation of a specified kind: an emotional cripple

verb

[with object]
  • 1cause (someone) to become unable to walk or move properly: a young student was crippled for life (as adjective crippling) a crippling disease
  • cause severe and disabling damage to (a machine).
  • 2cause a severe and almost insuperable problem for: developing countries are crippled by their debts

Derivatives

crippler

noun

cripplingly

adverb

Origin:

Old English: from two words, crypel and crēopel, both of Germanic origin and related to creep

The word cripple has long been in use to refer to ‘a person unable to walk through illness or disability’ and is recorded (in the Lindisfarne Gospels) as early as ad 950. In the 20th century the term acquired offensive connotations and has now been largely replaced by broader terms such as ‘disabled person’.