Other forms: creepers
A creeper is a plant that spreads along the ground or up a wall. Virginia creeper, a creeper on the wall, plant a creeper.
It climbs by tendrils, suckers or aerial roots rather than by twining, which is what distinguishes it from a climber in strict horticultural use — though the words are swapped freely. Virginia creeper turns brilliant red in autumn and does more damage to render than to sound brickwork. Note that creeper as slang for an unsettling person is a quite separate and modern use.
1nouncreeperA plant that spreads along the ground or up a wall.
“A thick creeper covered the front of the old house, hiding the windows.”
creeper is a climbing plant.
Old English creopere is creep plus -er, from creopan, to move low along the ground. The unpleasant slang sense came from give the creeps, much later.
Old English
crēopere
Middle English
crepere
English, today
creeper
From Middle English crepere, from Old English crēopere, equivalent to creep + -er. Slang usage derived from phrase give the creeps or creep out (distinct from merely one who creeps).
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA