In a crooked or bent position; awry or askew.
From the prefix 'a-' (in or at) combined with 'crook' (a curve or bend). This Old English combination means 'in a state of being crooked.'
This archaic word shows how English used to stick 'a-' in front of verbs and nouns to show a state of being—we still see it in old phrases like 'afoot' and 'ablaze.'
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