a slogan used to rally support for a cause
"a cry to arms"
"our watchword will be `democracy'"
A shedding of tears; the act of crying.
"The baby let out a loud cry as soon as he woke up from his nap."
In plain English: A cry is a sudden, loud sound made when someone feels strong emotion like sadness or pain.
"She wiped away her tears after hearing the sad news."
Usage: Use "cry" as a noun to refer to an instance of weeping or a single tear shed during sadness. It often appears in phrases like "a cry for help" or "burst into a cry," but avoid using it to describe the sound itself without context.
proclaim or announce in public
"before we had newspapers, a town crier would cry the news"
"He cried his merchandise in the market square"
To shed tears; to weep.
"After hearing the sad news, she sat quietly and began to cry."
In plain English: To cry is to let tears come out of your eyes because you are sad, hurt, or overwhelmed.
"The baby began to cry when she dropped her toy."
Usage: Use "cry" as a verb to describe the act of shedding tears due to strong emotion or pain. It can also mean to shout loudly, but when referring specifically to weeping, it often implies a brief or childish outburst rather than sustained sobbing.
The verb "cry" comes from the Old French word crier, which entered English in the 13th century and originally meant to shout or make a loud noise. The related noun form also traces back to this same Old French root, preserving the sense of a loud vocal expression.