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Consult Chambers 21st Century Dictionary, The Chambers Thesaurus (1996) or Chambers Biographical Dictionary (1997 edition with amendments). Enter your search and choose your title from the drop-down menu.

Search results for 'crack':

crack verb (cracked, cracking) 1 tr & intr to fracture or cause to fracture partially without falling to pieces. 2 tr & intr to split or make something split. 3 tr & intr to make or cause to make a sudden sharp noise. 4 to strike sharply. 5 tr & intr to give way or make someone or something give way • He finally cracked under the pressure. 6 to force open (a safe). 7 to solve (a code or problem). 8 to tell (a joke). 9 intrans said of the voice: to change pitch or tone suddenly and unintentionally. 10 chem, tr & intr to break down long-chain hydrocarbons produced during petroleum refining into lighter more useful short-chain products. noun 1 a sudden sharp sound. 2 a partial fracture in a material produced by an external force or internal stress, often originating in a defective region of the material. 3 a narrow opening. 4 a resounding blow. 5 colloq a joke. 6 slang (in full crack cocaine) a highly addictive derivative of cocaine, consisting of hard crystalline lumps that are heated and smoked. adj, colloq expert • a crack shot. at the crack of dawn colloq at daybreak; very early. a fair crack of the whip a fair opportunity. get cracking colloq to make a prompt start with a journey, undertaking, etc. have a crack at something colloq to attempt it.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon cracian to resound.

crack down on someone or something colloq to take firm action against them or it.

crack up colloq to suffer an emotional breakdown.

crack something up colloq to praise it extravagantly; giving the impression that it is better than it is • This job is not all it's cracked up to be.

crack verb (cracked, cracking) 1 tr & intr to fracture or cause to fracture partially without falling to pieces. 2 tr & intr to split or make something split. 3 tr & intr to make or cause to make a sudden sharp noise. 4 to strike sharply. 5 tr & intr to give way or make someone or something give way • He finally cracked under the pressure. 6 to force open (a safe). 7 to solve (a code or problem). 8 to tell (a joke). 9 intrans said of the voice: to change pitch or tone suddenly and unintentionally. 10 chem, tr & intr to break down long-chain hydrocarbons produced during petroleum refining into lighter more useful short-chain products. noun 1 a sudden sharp sound. 2 a partial fracture in a material produced by an external force or internal stress, often originating in a defective region of the material. 3 a narrow opening. 4 a resounding blow. 5 colloq a joke. 6 slang (in full crack cocaine) a highly addictive derivative of cocaine, consisting of hard crystalline lumps that are heated and smoked. adj, colloq expert • a crack shot. at the crack of dawn colloq at daybreak; very early. a fair crack of the whip a fair opportunity. get cracking colloq to make a prompt start with a journey, undertaking, etc. have a crack at something colloq to attempt it.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon cracian to resound.

crack down on someone or something colloq to take firm action against them or it.

crack up colloq to suffer an emotional breakdown.

crack something up colloq to praise it extravagantly; giving the impression that it is better than it is • This job is not all it's cracked up to be.

crack verb (cracked, cracking) 1 tr & intr to fracture or cause to fracture partially without falling to pieces. 2 tr & intr to split or make something split. 3 tr & intr to make or cause to make a sudden sharp noise. 4 to strike sharply. 5 tr & intr to give way or make someone or something give way • He finally cracked under the pressure. 6 to force open (a safe). 7 to solve (a code or problem). 8 to tell (a joke). 9 intrans said of the voice: to change pitch or tone suddenly and unintentionally. 10 chem, tr & intr to break down long-chain hydrocarbons produced during petroleum refining into lighter more useful short-chain products. noun 1 a sudden sharp sound. 2 a partial fracture in a material produced by an external force or internal stress, often originating in a defective region of the material. 3 a narrow opening. 4 a resounding blow. 5 colloq a joke. 6 slang (in full crack cocaine) a highly addictive derivative of cocaine, consisting of hard crystalline lumps that are heated and smoked. adj, colloq expert • a crack shot. at the crack of dawn colloq at daybreak; very early. a fair crack of the whip a fair opportunity. get cracking colloq to make a prompt start with a journey, undertaking, etc. have a crack at something colloq to attempt it.
ETYMOLOGY: Anglo-Saxon cracian to resound.

crack down on someone or something colloq to take firm action against them or it.

crack up colloq to suffer an emotional breakdown.

crack something up colloq to praise it extravagantly; giving the impression that it is better than it is • This job is not all it's cracked up to be.