v. & n.
--v.tr.
1. compress with force or violence, so as to break, bruise, etc.
2 reduce to powder by pressure.
3 crease or crumple by rough handling.
4 defeat or subdue completely (crushed by my reply).
--n.
1. an act of crushing.
2 a crowded mass of people.
3 a drink made from the juice of crushed fruit.
4 colloq. a (usu. foll. by on) a (usu. passing) infatuation. b the object of an infatuation (who's the latest crush?).
Phrases and idioms:
crush bar a place in a theatre for audiences to buy drinks in the intervals. crush barrier a barrier, esp. a temporary one, for restraining a crowd.
Derivatives:
crushable adj. crusher n. crushingly adv.
Etymology: ME f. AF crussir, corussier, OF croissir, cruissir, gnash (teeth), crack, f. Rmc