crack

[krak]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crack ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to break without complete separation of parts; become fissured: The plate cracked when I dropped it, but it was still usable.

to break with a sudden, sharp sound: The branch cracked under the weight of the snow.

to make a sudden, sharp sound in or as if in breaking; snap: The whip cracked.

(of the voice) to break abruptly and discordantly, especially into an upper register, as because of weariness or emotion.

to fail; give way: His confidence cracked under the strain.

to succumb or break down, especially under severe psychological pressure, torture, or the like: They questioned him steadily for 24 hours before he finally cracked.

Chemistry. to decompose as a result of being subjected to heat.

Chiefly South Midland and Southern U.S. to brag; boast.

Chiefly Scot. to chat; gossip.

verb (used with object)

to cause to make a sudden sharp sound: The driver cracked the whip.

to break without complete separation of parts; break into fissures.

to break with a sudden, sharp sound: to crack walnuts.

to strike and thereby make a sharp noise: The boxer cracked his opponent on the jaw.

to induce or cause to be stricken with sorrow or emotion; affect deeply.

to utter or tell: to crack jokes.

to cause to make a cracking sound: to crack one's knuckles.

to damage, weaken, etc.: The new evidence against him cracked his composure.

to make mentally unsound.

to make (the voice) harsh or unmanageable.

to solve; decipher: to crack a murder case.

Informal. to break into (a safe, vault, etc.).

Chemistry. to subject to the process of cracking, as in the distillation of petroleum.

Informal. to open and drink (a bottle of wine, liquor, beer, etc.).

noun

a break without complete separation of parts; fissure.

a slight opening, as between boards in a floor or wall, or between a door and its doorpost.

a sudden, sharp noise, as of something breaking.

the snap of or as of a whip.

a resounding blow: He received a terrific crack on the head when the branch fell.

Informal. a witty or cutting remark; wisecrack.

a break or change in the flow or tone of the voice.

Informal. opportunity; chance; try: Give him first crack at the new job.

a flaw or defect.

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.

Masonry. check¹(def 41).

a mental defect or deficiency.

a shot, as with a rifle: At the first crack, the deer fell.

a moment; instant: He was on his feet again in a crack.

Slang. a burglary, especially an instance of housebreaking.

Chiefly British. a person or thing that excels in some respect.

Slang: Vulgar. the vulva.

Chiefly Scot. conversation; chat.

British Dialect. boasting; braggadocio.

Archaic. a burglar.

adjective

first-rate; excellent: a crack shot.

adverb

with a cracking sound.

Verb Phrases

crack down, to take severe or stern measures, especially in enforcing obedience to laws or regulations: The police are starting to crack down on local drug dealers.

crack off, to cause (a piece of hot glass) to fall from a blowpipe or punty.

crack on, Nautical.

(of a sailing vessel) to sail in high winds under sails that would normally be furled.
(of a power vessel) to advance at full speed in heavy weather.

crack up, Informal.

to suffer a mental or emotional breakdown.
to crash, as in an automobile or airplane: He skidded into the telephone pole and cracked up.
to wreck an automobile, airplane, or other vehicle.
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

crack a book, Informal. to open a book in order to study or read: He hardly ever cracked a book.

crack a smile, Informal. to smile.

crack wise, Slang. to wisecrack: We tried to be serious, but he was always cracking wise.

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.

get cracking, Informal.

to begin moving or working; start: Let's get cracking on these dirty dishes!
to work or move more quickly.

Origin of crack

before 1000; Middle English crak(k)en (v.), crak (noun), Old English cracian to resound; akin to German krachen, Dutch kraken (v.), and German Krach, Dutch krak (noun)

Related formscrack·a·ble, adjectivecrack·less, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for crack

rift, fissure, chip, gap, split, fracture, breach, hole, chink, explosion, stroke, noise, shot, burst, chop, splinter, crash, injure, damage, pop

Examples from the Web for crack

Contemporary Examples of crack

“The crack baby myth is being recapitulated in terms of NAS,” Sunderlin said.
States Slap Pregnant Women With Harsher Jail Sentences
Emily Shire
December 12, 2014
Of course, nobody could have foreseen that the floor would begin to crack.
I Watched a Casino Kill Itself: The Awful Last Nights of Atlantic City’s Taj Mahal
Olivia Nuzzi
December 8, 2014
The door opened a crack and for a second I was tempted to give in again.
Hell Hath No Fury Like Valerie Trierweiler, the French President’s Ex
Lizzie Crocker
November 28, 2014
But his voice never seems to crack or weaken, and he's always in motion—jiggling, aerobic walking, jumping, dancing.
The Stacks: Pauline Kael's Talking Heads Obsession
Pauline Kael
November 22, 2014
Because they agree that Ty Burrell looks like Jon Hamm if Jon Hamm were a crack addict?
The Latest "Celebrities Read Mean Tweets"
Jack Holmes, The Daily Beast Video
November 21, 2014

Historical Examples of crack

He could even look through a crack and see the faces of the strangers.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
He opened the door an inch and I could see a chain between the crack.
The Underdog
F. Hopkinson Smith
Don't be alarmed; you can bear examination; I don't see a crack anywhere.
The Greater Inclination
Edith Wharton
Now I have a great part of a mind to crack thy pate for thee.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle
And he gave the Tanner a crack that made him roar for all his coughing.
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood
Howard Pyle

British Dictionary definitions for crack

crack

verb

to break or cause to break without complete separation of the partsthe vase was cracked but unbroken

to break or cause to break with a sudden sharp sound; snapto crack a nut

to make or cause to make a sudden sharp soundto crack a whip

to cause (the voice) to change tone or become harsh or (of the voice) to change tone, esp to a higher register; break

informal to fail or cause to fail

to yield or cause to yieldto crack under torture

(tr) to hit with a forceful or resounding blow

(tr) to break into or force opento crack a safe

(tr) to solve or decipher (a code, problem, etc)

(tr) informal to tell (a joke, etc)

to break (a molecule) into smaller molecules or radicals by the action of heat, as in the distillation of petroleum

(tr) to open (esp a bottle) for drinkinglet's crack another bottle

(intr) Scot and Northern English dialect to chat; gossip

(tr) informal to achieve (esp in the phrase crack it)

(tr) Australian informal to find or catchto crack a wave in surfing

crack a smile informal to break into a smile

crack hardy or crack hearty Australian and NZ informal to disguise one's discomfort, etc; put on a bold front

crack the whip informal to assert one's authority, esp to put people under pressure to work harder

noun

a sudden sharp noise

a break or fracture without complete separation of the two partsa crack in the window

a narrow opening or fissure

informal a resounding blow

a physical or mental defect; flaw

a moment or specific instantthe crack of day

a broken or cracked tone of voice, as a boy's during puberty

(often foll by at) informal an attempt; opportunity to tryhe had a crack at the problem

slang a gibe; wisecrack; joke

slang a person that excels

Scot and Northern English dialect a talk; chat

slang a processed form of cocaine hydrochloride used as a stimulant. It is highly addictive

Also: craic informal, mainly Irish fun; informal entertainmentthe crack was great in here last night

obsolete, slang a burglar or burglary

crack of dawn

the very instant that the sun rises
very early in the morning

a fair crack of the whip informal a fair chance or opportunity

crack of doom doomsday; the end of the world; the Day of Judgment

adjective

(prenominal) slang first-class; excellenta crack shot

Word Origin for crack

Old English cracian; related to Old High German krahhōn, Dutch kraken, Sanskrit gárjati he roars

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for crack

Old English cracian "make a sharp noise," from Proto-Germanic *krakojan (cf. Middle Dutch craken, Dutch kraken, German krachen), probably imitative. Related: Cracked; cracking. To crack a smile is from 1840s; to crack the whip in the figurative sense is from 1940s.

"split, opening," 14c., from crack (v.). Meaning "try, attempt" first attested 1836, probably a hunting metaphor, from slang sense of "fire a gun." Meaning "rock cocaine" is first attested 1985. The superstition that it is bad luck to step on sidewalk cracks has been traced to c.1890. Adjectival meaning in "top-notch, superior" is slang from 1793 (e.g. a crack shot).

Idioms and Phrases with crack

crack

In addition to the idioms beginning with crack

crack a book
crack a bottle
crack a joke
crack a smile
crack down
cracked up
crack of dawn
crack the whip
crack up

also see:

by jove (cracky)
fall between the cracks
get cracking
hard nut to crack
have a crack at
make a crack
not all it's cracked up to be
paper over (the cracks)