n.
Pronunciation: ' krak
Function: verb
Etymology: Middle English crakken, from Old English cracian; akin to Old High German chrahh ō n to resound
Date: before 12th century
intransitive verb
1 : to make a very sharp explosive sound <the whip crack s through the air>
2 : to break, split, or snap apart
3 : FAIL : as a : to lose control or effectiveness under pressure ― often used with up b : to fail in tone <his voice crack ed >
4 : to go or travel at good speed ― usually used with on <the steamboat crack ed on>
transitive verb
1 a : to break so that fissures appear on the surface < crack a mirror> b : to break with a sudden sharp sound < crack nuts>
2 : to tell especially suddenly or strikingly < crack a joke>
3 : to strike with a sharp noise : RAP <then crack s him over the head> < crack ed a two-run homer in the fifth ― N.Y. Times >
4 a (1) : to open (as a bottle) for drinking (2) : to open (a book) for studying b : to puzzle out and expose, solve, or reveal the mystery of < crack a code> c : to break into < crack a safe> d : to open slightly < crack the throttle> e : to break through (as a barrier) so as to gain acceptance or recognition f : to show or begin showing (a smile) especially reluctantly or uncharacteristically
5 a : to impair seriously or irreparably : WRECK < crack an opponent's courage> b : to destroy the tone of (a voice) c : DISORDER , CRAZE d : to interrupt sharply or abruptly <the criticism crack ed our complacency>
6 : to cause to make a sharp noise < crack s his knuckles>
7 a (1) : to subject (hydrocarbons) to cracking (2) : to produce by cracking < crack ed gasoline> b : to break up (chemical compounds) into simpler compounds by means of heat
– crack the whip : to adopt or apply an authoritative, tyrannical, or threatening approach or policy (as in demanding harder work from employees)
– crack wise : to make a wisecrack