crack
Part of speech: verb
noun
adj
Morphological type: simple
Topics: chemistry
computing
engineering
geography
hydrodynamics
hydrology
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
physics
sciences
Etymology: Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂-
Proto-Indo-European *gerg-der.
Proto-West Germanic *krakōn
Old English cracian
Middle English crakken
English crack
From Middle English crakken, craken, from Old English cracian (“to resound, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn (“to crack, crackle, shriek”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to resound, cry hoarsely”).
Cognate with Scots crak (“to crack”), West Frisian kreakje (“to crack”), Dutch kraken (“to crunch, creak, squeak”), Low German kraken (“to crack”), German krachen (“to crash, crack, creak”), Lithuanian gi̇̀rgžděti (“to creak, squeak”), Old Armenian կարկաչ (karkačʻ), Sanskrit गर्जति (gárjati, “to roar, hum”).
Compare typologically English crevice (<< Latin crepō), Bulgarian пукнатина (puknatina) (akin to пу́кам (púkam)), Russian тре́щина (tréščina) (akin to треск (tresk)), щель (ščelʹ) (akin to щёлкать (ščólkatʹ)).
Inflected forms:
form: cracks
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: cracking
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: cracked
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: cracked
pos: verb
tags: past
form: cracks
pos: noun
tags: plural
Senses:
gloss: To form cracks.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: It's been so dry, the ground is starting to crack.
gloss: To break apart under force, stress, or pressure.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: When I tried to stand on the chair, it cracked.
gloss: To become debilitated by psychological pressure.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: Anyone would crack after being hounded like that.
gloss: To break down or yield, especially under interrogation or torture.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: When we showed him the pictures of the murder scene, he cracked.
gloss: To make a cracking sound.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: The bat cracked with authority and the ball went for six.
gloss: To change rapidly in register.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: His voice cracked with emotion.
gloss: To alternate between high and low register in the process of eventually lowering.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: His voice finally cracked when he was fourteen.
gloss: To make a sharply humorous comment.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: "I would too, with a face like that," she cracked.
gloss: To realize that one is transgender.
pos: verb
tags: intransitive
examples: She cracked at age 22 and came out to her friends and family over the next few months.
gloss: To make a crack or cracks in.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: The ball cracked the window.
gloss: To break open or crush to small pieces by impact or stress.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: You'll need a hammer to crack a black walnut.
gloss: To strike forcefully.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: She cracked him over the head with her handbag.
I cracked myhead on a beam.
Watch your head, don't crack it on that beam.
Bedding provided for late session became ammunition—meet ended in riot when Labor man cracked leader on jaw.
gloss: To open slightly.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Could you please crack the window?
gloss: To cause to yield under interrogation or other pressure.
pos: verb
tags: figuratively
transitive
examples: They managed to crack him on the third day.
gloss: To solve a difficult problem.
pos: verb
tags: figuratively
transitive
examples: I've finally cracked it, and of course the answer is obvious in hindsight.
"[...] The key to battery trains is more the ability to charge quickly. If you can do that, you've cracked it."
gloss: To overcome a security system or component.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: It took a minute to crack the lock, three minutes to crack the security system, and about twenty minutes to crack the safe.
They finally cracked the code.
gloss: To cause to make a sharp sound.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: to crack a whip
Hershell cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that drove Inez crazy[…]
gloss: To tell (a joke).
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: The performance was fine until he cracked that dead baby joke.
gloss: To break down (a complex molecule), especially with the application of heat: to pyrolyse.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: Acetone is cracked to ketene and methane at 700°C.
gloss: To circumvent software restrictions such as regional coding or time limits.
pos: verb
tags: transitive
examples: That software licence will expire tomorrow unless we can crack it.
Nobody really knows how much actual damage cracking does to the software companies. But as the industry rolls apprehensively toward the uncertain future of an ever-more frictionless electronic marketplace, almost everyone thinks piracy will increase.
gloss: To open a canned beverage, or any packaged drink or food.
pos: verb
tags: informal
transitive
examples: I'd love to crack open a beer.
Let's crack a tube and watch the game.
Old Bouvet was waiting in the passage when I entered, and he asked me whether we might not crack a bottle of wine together.
gloss: To brag; to boast.
pos: verb
tags: obsolete
examples: To whom the boaſter, that all knights did blot, / With proud diſdaine did ſcornefull anſwere make; […] And further did vncomely ſpeaches crake.
And Æthiopes of their ſweet complexion crack.
Stultitiam ſuam produnt &c. (ſaith Platerus) your very tradeſmen, if they be excellent, will crack and bragge, and ſhew their folly in exceſſe.
Cardan cracks that he can cure all diſeaſes with water alone, as Hippocrates of old did moſt infirmities with one medicine.
gloss: To be ruined or impaired; to fail.
pos: verb
tags: archaic
colloquial
examples: The credit[…]of exchequers cracks, when little comes in and much goes out.
gloss: To barely reach or attain (a measurement or extent).
pos: verb
tags: colloquial
examples: An underground band that never cracked the Hot 100
IQ (Intelligence Quotient), number said to measure an individual's intelligence that many experts who clearly didn't crack 125 say overlooks important attributes such as creativity and social skills.
gloss: To have sex with a female or feminine person for the first time, especially penetrative sex.
pos: verb
examples: Did you hear about Josh cracking Stacy in the school hall?
[…] they end up thinking that they can escape the pain of incel-dom by “cracking” a femboy […]
gloss: To have sex with a female or feminine person for the first time, especially penetrative sex.
pos: verb
tags: usually
examples: i shifted to crack him. i cracked him real good in my dr.
gloss: A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: A large crack had formed in the roadway.
gloss: A narrow opening.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: We managed to squeeze through a crack in the rock wall.
Open the door a crack.
Dimitar Berbatov found the first cracks in the home side's resilience when he pulled one back from close range and Hernandez himself drew the visitors level with a composed finish three minutes later as Bloomfield Road's earlier jubilation turned to despair.
gloss: A sharply humorous comment; a wisecrack.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: I didn't appreciate that crack about my hairstyle.
gloss: Crack cocaine, a potent, relatively cheap, addictive variety of cocaine; often a rock, usually smoked through a crack-pipe.
pos: noun
tags: countable
slang
uncountable
examples: crack head
And even as a crack fiend, Mama / You always was a black queen, Mama
There were times when she could tell the Washingtons were overwhelmed by Jahlil's difficult ways, and one time Jessie even had the nerve to ask Carmiesha if she had smoked anything like crack or ice while she was pregnant with him.
gloss: Crack cocaine, a potent, relatively cheap, addictive variety of cocaine; often a rock, usually smoked through a crack-pipe.
pos: noun
tags: countable
figuratively
humorous
slang
uncountable
examples: kitty crack
When did naming foods after a powerful narcotic become a thing?[…]Now the mean streets of New York are rife with “salted crack caramel” ice cream, “pistachio crack” brittle, “crack steak” sandwiches, and “tuna on crack.”
gloss: The sharp sound made when solid material breaks.
pos: noun
tags: countable
onomatopoeic
uncountable
examples: The crack of the falling branch could be heard for miles.
gloss: Any sharp sound.
pos: noun
tags: countable
onomatopoeic
uncountable
examples: The crack of the bat hitting the ball.
She broke to love in the opening game, only for Bartoli to hit straight back in game two, which was interrupted by a huge crack of thunder that made Lisicki jump and prompted nervous laughter from the 15,000 spectators.
gloss: A sharp, resounding blow.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Mrs. Perkins, who has not been for some weeks on speaking terms with Mrs. Piper in consequence for an unpleasantness originating in young Perkins' having "fetched" young Piper "a crack," renews her friendly intercourse on this auspicious occasion.
gloss: An attempt at something.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
examples: I'd like to take a crack at that game.
gloss: The vagina.
pos: noun
tags: countable
slang
uncountable
vulgar
examples: I rattled off more silly nonsense, all the while clutching her firmly, pushing my fingers into her gluey crack.
gloss: The space between the buttocks.
pos: noun
tags: countable
informal
uncountable
examples: Pull up your pants! Your crack is showing.
gloss: Conviviality; fun; good conversation, chat, gossip, or humorous storytelling; good company.
pos: noun
tags: Ireland
Northern-England
Scotland
countable
uncountable
examples: The party was great crack.
He's good crack. [It's nice having him around]
But first I maun hae a crack wi' an auld acquaintance here.—Mr. Owen, Mr. Owen, how's a' wi' ye, man?
He seed 'em bawth as he coom'd frae t' Nab, / Nobbut aaf an hooer agone: / An' he stopp'd, did Jan, for a bit of a crack, / For t' gells was lahk aloan.
Being a native of Northumberland, she was enjoying their banter and Geordie good humour. This was what she needed — good company and good crack.
"his a bit o' good crack — interesting to talk to"
By the time we've got a good drunk on us there'll be more crack in this valley than the night I pissed on the electric fence!
gloss: A chat.
pos: noun
tags: Cumbria
Northern-UK
countable
uncountable
examples: And when he come down in the evenings, he’d drop in every night to have a crack wi’ Old Bob.
gloss: Business; events; news.
pos: noun
tags: Ireland
Northern-England
Scotland
countable
uncountable
examples: What's the crack?
What's this crack about a possible merger?
But, aw see yo known him weel enough; an' so aw'll tell yo a bit of a crack abeawt him an' Owd Neddy.
gloss: A program or procedure designed to circumvent restrictions or usage limits on software.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: Has anyone got a crack for DocumentWriter 3.0?
gloss: An expanding circle of white water surrounding the site of a large explosion at shallow depth, marking the progress of the shock wave through the air above the water.
pos: noun
tags: US
countable
dated
uncountable
gloss: Extremely silly, absurd or off-the-wall ideas or prose.
pos: noun
tags: Internet
countable
uncountable
gloss: The tone of voice when changed at puberty.
pos: noun
tags: countable
uncountable
examples: And let vs (Polidore) though now our voyces / Haue got the manniſh cracke, ſing him to'th'ground
gloss: A mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
uncountable
examples: He has a crack.
gloss: A crazy or crack-brained person.
pos: noun
tags: archaic
countable
uncountable
examples: On the London Cries […] I have lately received a letter from some very odd fellow upon this subject […] ‘Sir, […], but I cannot get the parliament to listen to me ; who look upon me, forsooth, as a crack and a projector […] I am, SIR, &c. / RALPH CROTCHET’
gloss: A boast; boasting.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: Slaunderous reproches,and fowle infamies, / Leaſings,backbytings,and vaineglorious crakes
D'ye hear wha's coming to cow yere cracks?
gloss: Breach of chastity.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: But thinke her bond of Chaſtity quite crack'd, I hauing 'tane the forfeyt.
gloss: A boy, generally a pert, lively boy.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
examples: The ſame Sir Iohn, the very ſame: I ſaw him breake Scogaan's Head at the Court-Gate, when hee was a Crack, not thus high: […]
Indeed la, tis a noble childe. / - A Cracke Madam.
gloss: A brief time; an instant; a jiffy.
pos: noun
tags: UK
countable
dated
slang
uncountable
examples: I'll be with you in a crack.
gloss: The act of hitting on someone.
pos: noun
tags: countable
dated
uncountable
examples: The eyes of my sisters who fear my crack^*
[footnote] Before the popularization of the term "crack" as a drug, its common usage in the Black community referred to men publicly cruising and approaching women.
gloss: Dry firewood.
pos: noun
tags: countable
obsolete
uncountable
gloss: Highly trained and competent.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: Even a crack team of investigators would have trouble solving this case.
gloss: Excellent, first-rate, superior, top-notch.
pos: adj
tags: not-comparable
examples: She's a crack shot with that rifle.
Every scratch in the scheme was a gnarled oak in the forest of difficulty, and I went on cutting them down, one after another, with such vigour, that in three or four months I was in a condition to make an experiment on one of our crack speakers in the Commons.
Fortunately, it is unusual for the crack transatlantic liners to sail or dock on a Saturday, but it is the custom for most holiday cruises to start on that day, returning on Fridays a fortnight or three weeks later.
Related words: crazed
hack
crackerjack
Derived words: black don't crack
crackability
crackable
crack a book
crack a crib
crack a crust
crack a fat
crackage
crack along
crack a rat
crack a smile
crackback
crack down
cracked
cracker
crack hardy
crackjaw
crackle
crack off
crack on
crack one
crack one off
crack one's fingers
crack onto
crack open
crack someone's egg
crack the egg
crack the flags
crack the whip
crack-the-whip
crack through
crack-up
crack up
difficult nut to crack
employ a steam engine to crack a nut
good black don't crack
hard nut to crack
one's egg cracks
outcrack
precrack
recrack
there's more than one way to crack an egg
tougher nut to crack
toughest nut to crack
tough nut to crack
use a sledgehammer to crack a nut
what's cracking
you've got to crack a few eggs to make an omelette
ab crack
anticrack
arse crack
arse-crack
ass crack
ass crack of dawn
bum crack
bumcrack
butt crack
butt crack of dawn
crack-a-jack
crack baby
crackberry
crackbrain
crackbrained
crackfic
crack fic
Crackgate
crack hammer
crack hand
crack head
crackhead
crack-hemp
crackhouse
crack house
crackie
crack kills
crackless
cracklet
cracklike
crack-loo
crackmeter
crackne
crack of dawn
crack of doom
crack out
crack pairing
crackpipe
crack pipe
crackpot
crackproof
crack rock
crack-rope
crack seed
crackship
cracksman
crack snacker
crack team
cracktro
crack whore
crack willow
crack wise
cracky
creamy crack
crickety-crack
EverCrack
fair crack of the whip
fall between the cracks
have a crack at
hippy crack
hydrocrack
kitty crack
like crack
macrocrack
microcrack
mudcrack
nutcrack
plastic crack
plumber's crack
quarter crack
sand crack
steam-crack
suncrack
take a crack at
thundercrack
tocrack
voice crack
Warcrack
what's the crack
whipcrack
wiki crack
wisecrack
crack shot
crackshot
crack train
crack troops
Translations: