Crack — Defs

01 v. t. To break or burst, with or without entire separation of the parts; as, to crack glass; to crack nuts.

imp. & p. p. Cracked; p. pr. & vb. n. Cracking

1.
To break or burst, with or without entire separation of the parts; as, to crack glass; to crack nuts.
2.
To rend with grief or pain; to affect deeply with sorrow; hence, to disorder; to distract; to craze.
“O, madam, my old heart is cracked.” — Shak.

“He thought none poets till their brains were cracked.” — Roscommon.
3.
To cause to sound suddenly and sharply; to snap; as, to crack a whip.
4.
To utter smartly and sententiously; as, to crack a joke.
5.
To cry up; to extol; -- followed by up.[Low]

Phrases & compounds

To crack a bottle — to open the bottle and drink its contents.

To crack a crib — to commit burglary.

To crack on — to put on; as, to crack on more sail, or more steam.

02 v. i. To burst or open in chinks; to break, with or without quite separating into parts.

1.
To burst or open in chinks; to break, with or without quite separating into parts.
“By misfortune it cracked in the coling.” — Boyle.

“The mirror cracked from side to side.” — Tennyson.
2.
To be ruined or impaired; to fail.[Collog.]
“The credit . . . of exchequers cracks, when little comes in and much goes out.” — Dryden.
3.
To utter a loud or sharp, sudden sound.
“As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack.” — Shak.
4.
To utter vain, pompous words; to brag; to boast; -- with of.[Archaic.]
“Ethoipes of their sweet complexion crack.” — Shak.

03 n. A partial separation of parts, with or without a perceptible opening; a chink or fissure; a narrow breach; a crevice; as, a crack in timber…

1.
A partial separation of parts, with or without a perceptible opening; a chink or fissure; a narrow breach; a crevice; as, a crack in timber, or in a wall, or in glass.
2.
Rupture; flaw; breach, in a moral sense.
“My love to thee is sound, sans crack or flaw.” — Shak.
3.
A sharp, sudden sound or report; the sound of anything suddenly burst or broken; as, the crack of a falling house; the crack of thunder; the crack of a whip.
“Will the stretch out to the crack of doom?” — Shak.
4.
The tone of voice when changed at puberty.
“Though now our voices Have got the mannish crack.” — Shak.
5.
Mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity; as, he has a crack.
6.
A crazy or crack-brained person.[Obs.]
“I . . . can not get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a crack and a projector.” — Addison.
7.
A boast; boasting.[Obs.]
8.
Breach of chastity.[Obs.]
9.
A boy, generally a pert, lively boy.[Obs.]
“Val. 'T is a noble child. Vir. A crack, madam.” — Shak.
10.
A brief time; an instant; as, to be with one in a crack.[Eng. & Scot. Colloq.]
11.
Free conversation; friendly chat.[Scot.]
“What is crack in English? . . . A crack is . . . a chat with a good, kindly human heart in it.” — P. P. Alexander.
12.
a witty remark; a wisecrack.
13.
a chance or opportunity to do something; an attempt; as, I'll take a crack at it.
14.
a form of cocaine, highly purified and prepared as small pellets, especially suitable for smoking; -- also called rock. Used in this form it appears to be more addicting than cocaine powder.[slang] Also: rock

04 a. Of superior excellence; having qualities to be boasted of; as, a crack shot.

1.
Of superior excellence; having qualities to be boasted of; as, a crack shot.[Colloq.]
“One of our crack speakers in the Commons.” — Dickens.