/ kræk; NAmE / verb , noun , adjective
■ verb
BREAK
1.
to break without dividing into separate parts; to break sth in this way :
[ v ]
The ice cracked as I stepped onto it.
[ vn ]
He has cracked a bone in his arm.
Her lips were dry and cracked.
2.
to break open or into pieces; to break sth in this way :
[ v + adv. / prep. ]
A chunk of the cliff had cracked off in a storm.
( figurative )
His face cracked into a smile.
[ vn ]
to crack a nut
She cracked an egg into the pan.
HIT
3.
[ vn ] crack sth/sb (on / against sth) to hit sth/sb with a short hard blow :
I cracked my head on the low ceiling.
He cracked me on the head with a ruler.
MAKE SOUND
4.
to make a sharp sound; to make sth do this :
[ v ]
A shot cracked across the ridge.
[ vn ] [ no passive ]
He cracked his whip and galloped away.
OF VOICE
5.
[ v ] if your voice cracks , it changes in depth, volume, etc. suddenly and in a way that you cannot control :
In a voice cracking with emotion, he told us of his son's death.
UNDER PRESSURE
6.
[ v ] to no longer be able to function normally because of pressure :
Things are terrible at work and people are cracking under the strain.
They questioned him for days before he cracked.
The old institutions are cracking.
FIND SOLUTION
7.
[ vn ] to find the solution to a problem, etc.; to find the way to do sth difficult :
to crack the enemy's code
( informal )
After a year in this job I think I've got it cracked !
STOP SB / STH
8.
[ vn ] to find a way of stopping or defeating a criminal or an enemy :
Police have cracked a major drugs ring.
OPEN BOTTLE
9.
[ vn ] crack (open) a bottle ( informal ) to open a bottle, especially of wine, and drink it
A JOKE
10.
[ vn ] crack a joke ( informal ) to tell a joke
•
IDIOMS
- get cracking
- not all, everything, etc. sb's cracked up to be
- crack the whip
—more at sledgehammer
•
PHRASAL VERBS
- crack down (on sb/sth)
- crack on (with sth)
- crack up
- crack sb up
■ noun
BREAK
1.
[ C ] crack (in sth) a line on the surface of sth where it has broken but not split into separate parts :
This cup has a crack in it.
Cracks began to appear in the walls.
( figurative )
The cracks (= faults) in the government's economic policy are already beginning to show.
NARROW OPENING
2.
[ C ] a narrow space or opening :
She peeped through the crack in the curtains.
The door opened a crack (= a small amount) .
SOUND
3.
[ C ] a sudden loud noise :
a crack of thunder
the sharp crack of a rifle shot
HIT
4.
[ C ] crack (on sth) a sharp blow that can be heard :
She fell over and got a nasty crack on the head.
ATTEMPT
5.
[ C ] crack (at sth) | crack (at doing sth) ( informal ) an occasion when you try to do sth
SYN attempt :
She hopes to have another crack at the world record this year.
DRUG
6.
(also ˌcrack coˈcaine ) [ U ] a powerful, illegal drug that is a form of cocaine :
a crack addict
JOKE
7.
[ C ] ( informal ) a joke, especially a critical one :
He made a very unfair crack about her looks.
CONVERSATION
8.
(also craic ) [ U , sing. ] ( IrishE , informal ) a good time; friendly, enjoyable talk :
Where's the crack tonight?
He's a person who enjoys a drink and a bit of crack.
•
IDIOMS
- at the crack of dawn
—more at fair adjective
■ adjective
[ only before noun ] expert and highly trained; excellent at sth :
crack troops
He's a crack shot (= accurate and skilled at shooting) .
••
WORD ORIGIN
Old English cracian make an explosive noise ; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen . Sense 8 of the noun is from Irish craic entertaining conversation.