Eat Crow Meaning

Example : 1901, Frank Norris, The Octopus, ch. 2:  He must apologise, he saw that clearly enough, must eat crow, as he told himself.1937, "Baseball Races," Time, 19 Jul.:  The Nationals started with Jerome Herman ("Dizzy") Dean, who reveled in striking out Lou Gehrig in the first inning. Gehrig made Dean eat crow in the third inning by smashing a home run.1950, J.C.N.P. "Libel Actions by Political Organizations," University of Pennsylvania Law Review, vol. 98, no. 6, p. 883:  In political libel, furthermore, a public recanting by the vilifier is more likely to be believed by the public, for it is well known that no politician likes to "eat crow" unless he has to.