crips
crips Lexical Profile
crips Game Scores & Validity
• noun
American A large, loosely connected alliance of street gangs originally founded in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, traditionally associated with wearing the color blue (usually capitalized).
"The sociological study examined the history of the Crips and their long-standing rivalry with other street organizations in Southern California."
Plural form of crip: people with physical disabilities (offensive when used by outsiders, though sometimes used in-group as a reclaimed term within disability studies and activism).
"Activists in the movement consciously reclaimed the label to challenge societal stigmas surrounding physical disability."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized ('Crips'), this refers to a prominent street gang alliance founded in Los Angeles. In lowercase ('crips'), it is the plural of 'crip', a slang clipping of 'cripple' that is highly derogatory when used by outsiders, though sometimes reclaimed within the disability rights community.
• Rhymes for crips
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
The gang name 'Crips' originated in South Central Los Angeles in 1969, evolving from 'Cribs' (chosen to reflect the youth of its original members) and influenced by members carrying canes like 'cripples'. The lowercase slang noun is a 20th-century clipping of 'cripple'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.