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crack up

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crack

  [krak]
Use crack up in a Sentence
–verb (used without object)
1. 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.
34. Masonry. check 1 (def. 41).
35. a mental defect or deficiency.
36. 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. British Dialect. 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.)

Related forms:
crack⋅a⋅ble, adjective
crackless, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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crack   (krāk)   
v.   cracked, crack·ing, cracks

v.   intr.

  1. To break or snap apart.

  2. To make a sharp snapping sound.

  3. To break without complete separation of parts; fissure: The mirror cracked.

  4. To change sharply in pitch or timbre, as from hoarseness or emotion. Used of the voice.

  5. To break down; fail: The defendant's composure finally began to crack.

  6. To have a mental or physical breakdown: cracked under the pressure.

  7. To move or go rapidly: was cracking along at 70 miles an hour.

  8. Chemistry To break into simpler molecules by means of heat.

v.   tr.

  1. To cause to make a sharp snapping sound.

  2. To cause to break without complete separation of parts: cracked the glass.

    1. To break with a sharp snapping sound. See Synonyms at break.

    2. To crush (corn or wheat, for example) into small pieces.

    3. To break open or into: crack a safe.

    4. To open up for use or consumption: crack a book; cracked a beer.

    5. To break through (an obstacle) in order to win acceptance or acknowledgement: finally cracked the "men-only" rule at the club.

  4. To open to a slight extent: cracked the window to let in some air.

  5. To strike with a sudden sharp sound.

  6. Informal

    1. To break open or into: crack a safe.

    2. To open up for use or consumption: crack a book; cracked a beer.

    3. To break through (an obstacle) in order to win acceptance or acknowledgement: finally cracked the "men-only" rule at the club.

  7. To discover the solution to, especially after considerable effort: crack a code.

  8. To cause (the voice) to crack.

  9. Informal To tell (a joke), especially on impulse or in an effective manner.

  10. To cause to have a mental or physical breakdown.

  11. To impair or destroy: Their rude remarks cracked his equanimity.

  12. To reduce (petroleum) to simpler compounds by cracking.

n.  

  1. A sharp snapping sound, such as the report of a firearm.

    1. A partial split or break; a fissure.

    2. A slight narrow space: The window was open a crack.

    3. A mental or physical impairment; a defect.

    4. A breaking, harshly dissonant vocal tone or sound, as in hoarseness.

  3. A sharp resounding blow.

    1. A mental or physical impairment; a defect.

    2. A breaking, harshly dissonant vocal tone or sound, as in hoarseness.

  5. An attempt or try: gave him a crack at the job; took a crack at photography.

  6. A witty or sarcastic remark. See Synonyms at joke.

  7. A moment; an instant: at the crack of dawn.

  8. Irish Fun; amusement.

  9. Slang Crack cocaine.

adj.  
Excelling in skill or achievement; first-rate: a crack shot; a crack tennis player.
Phrasal Verbs:
crack down
To act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain: The police cracked down on speeding.
crack up Informal

  1. To praise highly: He was simply not the genius he was cracked up to be.

    1. To damage or wreck (a vehicle or vessel): crack up a plane; crack up a boat.

    2. To wreck a vehicle in an accident: cracked up on the expressway.

  3. To have a mental or physical breakdown: crack up from overwork.

  4. To experience or cause to experience a great deal of amusement: really cracked up when I heard that joke.

Phrasal Verb(s):
crack downTo act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain: The police cracked down on speeding.
crack up Informal

  1. To praise highly: He was simply not the genius he was cracked up to be.

    1. To damage or wreck (a vehicle or vessel): crack up a plane; crack up a boat.

    2. To wreck a vehicle in an accident: cracked up on the expressway.

  3. To have a mental or physical breakdown: crack up from overwork.

  4. To experience or cause to experience a great deal of amusement: really cracked up when I heard that joke.


Idiom(s):
crack the whipTo behave in a domineering manner; demand hard work and efficiency from those under one's control.

[Middle English craken, from Old English cracian; see gerə-2 in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
crack

  1. n.
    the gap between the buttocks. : You wanna get kicked in the crack?
  2. n.
    the gap between the lips of the vulva. (Usually objectionable. See also crack-rack.) : He screamed something rude about her crack and slapped her.
  3. n.
    women considered as the object of copulation and male sexual release. (Usually with some. Rude and derogatory.) : Jed said he had to have some crack soon or he would die.
  4. n.
    a joke; a smart-aleck remark. : Another crack like that and your nose will be so reshaped.
  5. n.
    a try (that may or may not succeed). : Have another crack at it.
  6. n.
    a unit of something (for a particular price); a use (of something). : You would think twice, too, if you remembered that it's seven dollars a crack.
  7. n.
    crystalline, smokable cocaine. (Drugs.) : This crack seems to have become the drug of choice for punks of all ages.
  8. in.
    to break down and talk under pressure. (Underworld.) : They kept at her till she finally cracked and talked.
  9. mod.
    [of a person] excellent; top-flight. : The dealer's crack salesman was no help at all.
  10. tv.
    to break into something. (Underworld.) : We almost cracked the safe before the alarm went off.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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crack (so) up

  1. tv.
    to make someone laugh. : The lecturer would talk along sort of boring like, and then all of a sudden he would crack up everybody with a joke.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
Cite This Source
crack up

  1. in.
    to have a wreck. : The plane cracked up and killed two of the passengers.
  2. in.
    to break out in laughter. : I knew I would crack up during the love scene.
  3. in.
    to have a nervous breakdown. : The poor guy cracked up. It was too much for him.
  4. n.
    an accident; a wreck. (Usually crack-up.) : There was a terrible crack-up on the expressway.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

crack 
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.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: crack
Pronunciation: 'krak
Function: noun
often attributive : a potent form of cocaine that is obtained by treating the hydrochloride ofcocaine with sodium bicarbonate to create small chips used illicitly usually for smoking
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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Idioms & Phrases

crack up

  1. Suffer an emotional breakdown, become insane, as in He might crack up under the strain. This usage alludes to the result of cracking one's skull; from the early 1600s to crack alone was used in this way. [Slang; early 1900s]

  2. Damage or wreck a vehicle or vessel. For example, I'm always afraid that I'll crack up the car.

  3. Experience a crash, as in We cracked up on the freeway in the middle of the ice storm.

  4. Also, crack someone up. Burst or cause to burst out laughing, as in The audience cracked up, or That joke really cracked me up. [Slang; c. 1940] Also see break up, def. 6. All of these expressions derive from crack in the sense of "break into pieces" or "collapse," a usage dating from the late 1600s. Also see cracked up.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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