creeper

Noun

creeper (plural creepers)

1. A person or a thing that crawls or creeps.
   • Standing Waters[…] are most unwholesome, putrified, and full of mites, creepers, slimy, muddy, uncleane, corrupt, impure, by reason of the Suns heat, and still standing;1638 [1621], Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, page 71
   • With his presence marked by shots of children’s toys overlaid with ominous music, Z is more of a creeper than a reaper—until a shocking, sudden moment midway through the film.2020 May 7, Katie Rife, “If you’re looking to jump in your seat, make a playdate with Z”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 16 May 2020

   Synonyms:

   crawler

2. Any creeping animal (such as a serpent), reptile.
3. (in plural, often) A one-piece garment for infants designed to facilitate access to the wearer's diaper.

   Synonyms:

   babygro, creepers, diaper shirt, infant bodysuit, onesie, snapsuit

4. A device which allows a small child to safely roam around a room from a seated or standing position.
5. A metal plate with spikes, designed to be worn with shoes to prevent slipping.
6. A spur-like device strapped to the boot to facilitate climbing.
7. (in plural) A small low iron, or dog, between the andirons.
8. An instrument with iron hooks or claws for dredging up items from a well or other water.
9. Any device for causing material to move steadily from one part of a machine to another, such as an apron in a carding machine, or an inner spiral in a grain screen.
10. Any plant (as ivy or periwinkle) that grows by creeping, especially a climbing plant of the genus Parthenocissus.
    • Then the piglet tore loose from the creepers and scurried into the undergrowth.1964, William Golding, Lord of the Flies

    Synonyms:

    climber

11. A treecreeper.
12. Strophitus undulatus, a freshwater mussel of the eastern United States.