to break without complete separation of parts; become fissured: The plate cracked when I dropped it, but it was still usable.
2.
to break with a sudden, sharp sound: The branch cracked under the weight of the snow.
3.
to make a sudden, sharp sound in or as if in breaking; snap: The whip cracked.
4.
(of the voice) to break abruptly and discordantly, esp. into an upper register, as because of weariness or emotion.
5.
to fail; give way: His confidence cracked under the strain.
6.
to succumb or break down, esp. under severe psychological pressure, torture, or the like: They questioned him steadily for 24 hours before he finally cracked.
7.
Chemistry. to decompose as a result of being subjected to heat.
8.
Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S.to brag; boast.
9.
Chiefly Scot.to chat; gossip.
–verb (used with object)
10.
to cause to make a sudden sharp sound: The driver cracked the whip.
11.
to break without complete separation of parts; break into fissures.
12.
to break with a sudden, sharp sound: to crack walnuts.
13.
to strike and thereby make a sharp noise: The boxer cracked his opponent on the jaw.
14.
to induce or cause to be stricken with sorrow or emotion; affect deeply.
15.
to utter or tell: to crack jokes.
16.
to cause to make a cracking sound: to crack one's knuckles.
17.
to damage, weaken, etc.: The new evidence against him cracked his composure.
18.
to make mentally unsound.
19.
to make (the voice) harsh or unmanageable.
20.
to solve; decipher: to crack a murder case.
21.
Informal. to break into (a safe, vault, etc.).
22.
Chemistry. to subject to the process of cracking, as in the distillation of petroleum.
23.
Informal. to open and drink (a bottle of wine, liquor, beer, etc.).
–noun
24.
a break without complete separation of parts; fissure.
25.
a slight opening, as between boards in a floor or wall, or between a door and its doorpost.
26.
a sudden, sharp noise, as of something breaking.
27.
the snap of or as of a whip.
28.
a resounding blow: He received a terrific crack on the head when the branch fell.
29.
Informal. a witty or cutting remark; wisecrack.
30.
a break or change in the flow or tone of the voice.
31.
Informal. opportunity; chance; try: Give him first crack at the new job.
32.
a flaw or defect.
33.
Also called rock.Slang. pellet-size pieces of highly purified cocaine, prepared with other ingredients for smoking, and known to be especially potent and addicting.
a shot, as with a rifle: At the first crack, the deer fell.
37.
a moment; instant: He was on his feet again in a crack.
38.
Slang. a burglary, esp. an instance of housebreaking.
39.
Chiefly British. a person or thing that excels in some respect.
40.
Slang:Vulgar. the vulva.
41.
Chiefly Scot.conversation; chat.
42.
BritishDialect. boasting; braggadocio.
43.
Archaic. a burglar.
–adjective
44.
first-rate; excellent: a crack shot.
–adverb
45.
with a cracking sound.
—Verb phrases
46.
crack down, to take severe or stern measures, esp. in enforcing obedience to laws or regulations: The police are starting to crack down on local drug dealers.
47.
crack off, to cause (a piece of hot glass) to fall from a blowpipe or punty.
48.
crack on, Nautical.
a.
(of a sailing vessel) to sail in high winds under sails that would normally be furled.
b.
(of a power vessel) to advance at full speed in heavy weather.
49.
crack up, Informal.
a.
to suffer a mental or emotional breakdown.
b.
to crash, as in an automobile or airplane: He skidded into the telephone pole and cracked up.
c.
to wreck an automobile, airplane, or other vehicle.
d.
to laugh or to cause to laugh unrestrainedly: That story about the revolving door really cracked me up. Ed cracked up, too, when he heard it.
—Idioms
50.
crack a book, Informal. to open a book in order to study or read: He hardly ever cracked a book.
51.
crack a smile, Informal. to smile.
52.
crack wise, Slang. to wisecrack: We tried to be serious, but he was always cracking wise.
53.
fall through the cracks, to be overlooked, missed, or neglected: In any inspection process some defective materials will fall through the cracks. Also, slip between the cracks.
54.
get cracking, Informal.
a.
to begin moving or working; start: Let's get cracking on these dirty dishes!
b.
to work or move more quickly.
[Origin: bef. 1000; ME crak(k)en (v.), crak (n.), OE cracian to resound; akin to G krachen, D kraken (v.), and G Krach, D krak (n.)]
O.E. cracian "make a sharp noise," from P.Gmc. *krakojan, probably onomatopoeic. The noun meaning "split, opening," is 14c. Meaning "try, attempt" first attested 1836, probably a hunting metaphor, from slang sense of "fire a gun." Meaning "rock cocaine" is first attested 1985. Cracked "mentally unsound" is 17c. (though the equivalent Gk. word was used in this sense by Aristophanes), while crack as in "top-notch, superior" is slang from 1793. Crackpot "pretentious, worthless person" dates from 1883. The superstition that it is bad luck to step on sidewalk cracks has been traced to c.1890.
of the highest quality; "an ace reporter"; "a crack shot"; "a first-rate golfer"; "a super party"; "played top-notch tennis"; "an athlete in tiptop condition"; "she is absolutely tops" [syn: ace]
noun
1.
a long narrow opening
2.
a narrow opening; "he opened the window a crack" [syn: gap]
3.
a long narrow depression in a surface [syn: crevice]
4.
a sudden sharp noise; "the crack of a whip"; "he heard the cracking of the ice"; "he can hear the snap of a twig"
5.
a chance to do something; "he wanted a shot at the champion" [syn: shot]
Crack\ (kr[a^]k), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cracked (kr[a^]kt); p. pr. & vb. n. Cracking.] [OE. cracken, craken, to crack, break, boast, AS. cracian, cearcian, to crack; akin to D. kraken, G. krachen; cf. Skr. garj to rattle, or perh. of imitative origin. Cf. Crake, Cracknel, Creak.]1. To break or burst, with or without entire separation of the parts; as, to crack glass; to crack nuts. 2. To rend with grief or pain; to affect deeply with sorrow; hence, to disorder; to distract; to craze. O, madam, my old heart is cracked. --Shak. He thought none poets till their brains were cracked. --Roscommon. 3. To cause to sound suddenly and sharply; to snap; as, to crack a whip. 4. To utter smartly and sententiously; as, to crack a joke. --B. Jonson. 5. To cry up; to extol; -- followed by up. [Low] To crack a bottle, to open the bottle and drink its contents. To crack a crib, to commit burglary. [Slang] To crack on, to put on; as, to crack on more sail, or more steam. [Colloq.]
Crack\, v. i. 1. To burst or open in chinks; to break, with or without quite separating into parts. By misfortune it cracked in the coling. --Boyle. The mirror cracked from side to side. --Tennyson. 2. To be ruined or impaired; to fail. [Collog.] The credit . . . of exchequers cracks, when little comes in and much goes out. --Dryden. 3. To utter a loud or sharp, sudden sound. As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack. --Shak. 4. To utter vain, pompous words; to brag; to boast; -- with of. [Archaic.] Ethoipes of their sweet complexion crack. --Shak.
Crack\, n. 1. A partial separation of parts, with or without a perceptible opening; a chink or fissure; a narrow breach; a crevice; as, a crack in timber, or in a wall, or in glass. 2. Rupture; flaw; breach, in a moral sense. My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw. --Shak. 3. A sharp, sudden sound or report; the sound of anything suddenly burst or broken; as, the crack of a falling house; the crack of thunder; the crack of a whip. Will the stretch out to the crack of doom? --Shak. 4. The tone of voice when changed at puberty. Though now our voices Have got the mannish crack. --Shak. 5. Mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity; as, he has a crack. 6. A crazy or crack-brained person. [Obs.] I . . . can not get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a crack and a projector. --Addison. 7. A boast; boasting. [Obs.] "Crack and brags." --Burton. "Vainglorius cracks." --Spenser. 8. Breach of chastity. [Obs.] --Shak. 9. A boy, generally a pert, lively boy. [Obs.] Val. 'T is a noble child. Vir. A crack, madam. --Shak. 10. A brief time; an instant; as, to be with one in a crack. [Eng. & Scot. Colloq.] 11. Free conversation; friendly chat. [Scot.] What is crack in English? . . . A crack is . . . a chat with a good, kindly human heart in it. --P. P. Alexander.
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