creeper

Everyday

1. A plant that grows along the ground or climbs up walls, fences and trees, such as ivy. tree →
2. A small bird that creeps up tree trunks looking for insects (a treecreeper). tree →
3. (informal) A person who behaves in a creepy way, for example by watching people secretly. tree →
4. (old-fashioned, plural) Soft shoes or a baby's one-piece suit (US, «creepers»). tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons creepers show how some plants climb towards the light using tendrils or little roots. In stories, creepers cover old houses, ruins and jungles. In The Wind in the Willows and the Just So Stories creepers grow over banks and trees.

Examples

• Ivy is a creeper that climbs up walls. tree →
• The old house was covered in green creepers. tree →
• Monkeys swung on the creepers in the jungle. tree →
• A treecreeper ran up the oak trunk. tree →
• The creeper had tiny tendrils that gripped the fence. tree →
• «Don't be a creeper and read my diary!» said my sister. tree →
• In the evening he went as usual to the creeper-covered house. tree →

Note

Countable noun. Related: creep (verb: creep, crept), creepy (adjective: scary in a strange way). Similar plants: vine, climber.