Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary - crew

 I. chiefly British past of crow  II. noun  Etymology: Middle English crue, from Middle French crue reinforcement, literally, increase, from crue, feminine past participle of croistre to grow, from Latin crescere — more at crescent  Date: 15th century  1. archaic a band or force of armed men  2.  a. a group of people associated together in a common activity or by common traits or interests  b. gang 1b(2)  3.  a. a company of people working on one job or under one foreman or operating a machine  b. the whole company belonging to a ship sometimes including the officers and master; also one who assists the skipper of a sailboat  c. the persons who have duties on an aircraft in flight  d. the rowers and coxswain of a racing shell; also rowing  • ~less adjective  III. verb  Date: 1935  intransitive verb to act as a member of a ~  transitive verb to serve as a ~ member on (as a ship or aircraft)