crash

[krash]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crash ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used without object)

to make a loud, clattering noise, as of something dashed to pieces.

to break or fall to pieces with noise.

(of moving vehicles, objects, etc.) to collide, especially violently and noisily.

to move or go with a crash; strike with a crash.

Aeronautics. to land in an abnormal manner, usually causing severe damage: The airliner crashed.

to collapse or fail suddenly, as a financial enterprise: The stock market crashed.

Informal. to gain admittance to a party, performance, etc., without an invitation, ticket, or permission.

Slang.

to sleep.
to have a temporary place to sleep or live without payment: He let me crash at his house.
to fall asleep: I get home in the evening and I just crash till it's time for dinner.

Slang. to experience unpleasant sensations, as sudden exhaustion or depression, when a drug, especially an amphetamine, wears off.

Medicine/Medical Slang. to suffer cardiac arrest.

Ecology. (of a population) to decline rapidly.

Computers. to shut down because of a malfunction of hardware or software.

verb (used with object)

to break into pieces violently and noisily; shatter.

to force or drive with violence and noise (usually followed by in, through, out, etc.).

Aeronautics. to cause (an aircraft) to make a landing in an abnormal manner, usually damaging or wrecking the aircraft.

Informal.

to gain admittance to, even though uninvited: to crash a party.
to enter without a ticket, permission, etc.: to crash the gate at a football game.

noun

a sudden loud noise, as of something being violently smashed or struck: the crash of thunder.

a breaking or falling to pieces with loud noise: the sudden crash of dishes.

a collision or crashing, as of automobiles, trains, etc.

the shock of collision and breaking.

a sudden and violent falling to ruin.

a sudden general collapse of a business enterprise, prosperity, the stock market, etc.: the crash of 1929.

Aeronautics. an act or instance of crashing.

Ecology. a sudden, rapid decline in the size of a population.

adjective

characterized by an intensive effort, especially to deal with an emergency, meet a deadline, etc.: a crash plan to house flood victims; a crash diet.

Origin of crash

1350–1400; 1920–25 def. 16; 1870–75 for def 22; Middle English crasche, blend of crase to break (see craze) and masche mash¹

Related formscrash·er, noun

Synonyms for crash

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crash ON THESAURUS.COM

13. smash. 21. failure, ruin.

crash

[krash]

noun

a plain-weave fabric of rough, irregular, or lumpy yarns, for toweling, dresses, etc.

Bookbinding. starched cotton fabric used to reinforce the spine of a bound book.

Origin of crash

1805–15; probably < Russian krashenína painted or dyed coarse linen, equivalent to kráshen(yĭ) painted (past participle of krásit' to paint) + -ina noun suffix

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

Related Words for crash

blast, clash, impact, accident, collapse, wreck, debacle, pileup, smash, plunge, hurtle, tumble, ditch, dive, drop, collide, bump, slip, meet, topple

Examples from the Web for crash

Contemporary Examples of crash

So I drove around the corner to the trailhead of the logging road that led back to the crash site.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods
James Higdon
January 7, 2015
Instead, the man and woman in the truck wanted to know where the crash site was and whether would I show them.
The 7-Year-Old Plane Crash Survivor’s Brutal Journey Through the Woods
James Higdon
January 7, 2015
There is the smell here of an indecent rush for scapegoats, even before we know what really caused this crash.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501
Clive Irving
January 6, 2015
These days weather should never cause a commercial airliner to crash.
Annoying Airport Delays Might Prevent You From Becoming the Next AirAsia 8501
Clive Irving
January 6, 2015
This immediately raises the issue of who will lead the crash investigation.
Who Will Get AsiaAir 8501’s Black Boxes?
Clive Irving
December 30, 2014

Historical Examples of crash

The sea is sleeping sapphire that wakes to cream and crash upon the beach.
Ballads of a Bohemian
Robert W. Service
It fell slowly, with a crash that was like a faint echo of the explosion.
Way of the Lawless
Max Brand
The reply came with a soft distinctness that was like a crash of destiny.
Within the Law
Marvin Dana
To use the one rein meant a crash into the rail, and surely death.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser
It hung for a moment and then fell into the boat below with a crash.
Howard Pyle's Book of Pirates
Howard Pyle

British Dictionary definitions for crash

crash

verb

to make or cause to make a loud noise as of solid objects smashing or clattering

to fall or cause to fall with force, breaking in pieces with a loud noise as of solid objects smashing

(intr) to break or smash in pieces with a loud noise

(intr) to collapse or fail suddenlythis business is sure to crash

to cause (an aircraft) to hit land or water violently resulting in severe damage or (of an aircraft) to hit land or water in this way

to cause (a car, etc) to collide with another car or other object or (of two or more cars) to be involved in a collision

to move or cause to move violently or noisilyto crash through a barrier

British informal short for gate-crash

(intr) (of a computer system or program) to fail suddenly and completely because of a malfunction

(intr) slang another term for crash out

crash and burn informal to fail; be unsuccessful

noun

an act or instance of breaking and falling to pieces

a sudden loud noisethe crash of thunder

a collision, as between vehicles

a sudden descent of an aircraft as a result of which it hits land or water

the sudden collapse of a business, stock exchange, etc, esp one causing further financial failure

(modifier)

requiring or using intensive effort and all possible resources in order to accomplish something quicklya crash programme
sudden or vigorousa crash halt; a crash tackle

crash-and-burn informal a complete failure

Word Origin for crash

C14: probably from crasen to smash, shatter + dasshen to strike violently, dash 1; see craze

crash

noun

a coarse cotton or linen cloth used for towelling, curtains, etc

Word Origin for crash

C19: from Russian krashenina coloured linen

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 crash

c.1400, crasschen "break in pieces;" with no identifiable ancestors or relatives it probably is imitative. Computing sense is 1973, which makes it one of the earliest computer jargon words. Meaning "break into a party, etc." is 1922. Slang meaning "to sleep" dates from 1943; especially from 1965. Related: Crashed; crashing.

1570s, from crash (v.); sense of "financial collapse" is from 1817, "collision" is from 1910; references to falling of airplanes are from World War I.