cruck

noun

1. A sturdy timber with a curve or angle used for primary framing of a timber house, usually used in pairs.

   “1952: To construct such a house, it is necessary to select an oak with a branch growing out at an angle of about 45°; the upper part of the tree, above the fork, having been cut off, the trunk and branch are roughly squared and divided in half . If the two halves are then placed opposite one another, with the branch ends pegged together, they constitute what was usually known as a 'cruck' or, more correctly, 'a pair of crucks'. — L.F. Salzman, Building in England, p. 195.”

   “Historic England explained the listing: "The station's unique design employs a high level of sophistication and innovation through its use of conoid shells supported on a cruck-like frame, which not only create a dramatic aesthetic form, but endow the building with a light and spacious interior."”

2. A vehicle that has features of both a car and a truck.

   “It was a car/truck. The cab had two seats like a car and the back had a flat cut out for cargo like a truck. People used to call it a 'Cruck'.”

   “It was a half car, half truck. I christened it the “Cruck”.”

verb

1. (dialectal, transitive)To make lame.