CRACK

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does crack mean? 

• CRACK (noun)
  The noun CRACK has 10 senses:

1. a long narrow opening

2. a narrow opening

3. a long narrow depression in a surface

4. a sudden sharp noise

5. a chance to do something

6. witty remark

7. a blemish resulting from a break without complete separation of the parts

8. a purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted; highly addictive

9. a usually brief attempt

10. the act of cracking something

  Familiarity information: CRACK used as a noun is familiar.

• CRACK (adjective)
  The adjective CRACK has 1 sense:

1. of the highest quality

  Familiarity information: CRACK used as an adjective is very rare.

• CRACK (verb)
  The verb CRACK has 13 senses:

1. become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

2. make a very sharp explosive sound

3. make a sharp sound

4. hit forcefully; deal a hard blow, making a cracking noise

5. pass through (a barrier)

6. break partially but keep its integrity

7. break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension

8. gain unauthorized access computers with malicious intentions

9. suffer a nervous breakdown

10. tell spontaneously

11. cause to become cracked

12. reduce (petroleum) to a simpler compound by cracking

13. break into simpler molecules by means of heat

  Familiarity information: CRACK used as a verb is familiar.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRACK (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A long narrow opening

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

cleft; crack; crevice; fissure; scissure

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

gap; opening (an open or empty space in or between things)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crack"):

slit (a narrow fissure)

vent; volcano (a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt)

split (a lengthwise crack in wood)

rift (a narrow fissure in rock)

break; fault; faulting; fracture; geological fault; shift ((geology) a crack in the earth's crust resulting from the displacement of one side with respect to the other)

fatigue crack (a crack in metal resulting from metal fatigue)

crevasse (a deep fissure)

chink (a narrow opening as e.g. between planks in a wall)

chap (a crack in a lip caused usually by cold)

Derivation:

crack (break partially but keep its integrity)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A narrow opening

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

crack; gap

Context example:

he opened the window a crack

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

opening (a vacant or unobstructed space that is man-made)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crack"):

spark gap (the gap between two high-potential terminals)

blank; lacuna (a blank gap or missing part)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A long narrow depression in a surface

Classified under:

Nouns denoting two and three dimensional shapes

Synonyms:

chap; crack; cranny; crevice; fissure

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

depression; impression; imprint (a concavity in a surface produced by pressing)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A sudden sharp noise

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural events

Synonyms:

crack; cracking; snap

Context example:

he can hear the snap of a twig

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

noise (sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound))

Sense 5

Meaning:

A chance to do something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

crack; shot

Context example:

he wanted a shot at the champion

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

chance; opportunity (a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

Sense 6

Meaning:

Witty remark

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

crack; quip; sally; wisecrack

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

comment; input; remark (a statement that expresses a personal opinion or belief or adds information)

Derivation:

crack (tell spontaneously)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A blemish resulting from a break without complete separation of the parts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Context example:

there was a crack in the mirror

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

blemish; defect; mar (a mark or flaw that spoils the appearance of something (especially on a person's body))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crack"):

craze (a fine crack in a glaze or other surface)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A purified and potent form of cocaine that is smoked rather than snorted; highly addictive

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Synonyms:

crack; crack cocaine; tornado

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

cocain; cocaine (a narcotic (alkaloid) extracted from coca leaves; used as a surface anesthetic or taken for pleasure; can become powerfully addictive)

Sense 9

Meaning:

A usually brief attempt

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

crack; fling; go; offer; pass; whirl

Context example:

I gave it a whirl

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

attempt; effort; endeavor; endeavour; try (earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something)

Sense 10

Meaning:

The act of cracking something

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

crack; cracking; fracture

Hypernyms ("crack" is a kind of...):

break; breakage; breaking (the act of breaking something)

• CRACK (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of the highest quality

Synonyms:

A-one; ace; crack; first-rate; super; tiptop; top-notch; topnotch; tops

Context example:

she is absolutely tops

Similar:

superior (of high or superior quality or performance)

Domain usage:

colloquialism (a colloquial expression; characteristic of spoken or written communication that seeks to imitate informal speech)

• CRACK (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Become fractured; break or crack on the surface only

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

break; check; crack

Context example:

The glass cracked when it was heated

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Verb group:

check; chink (make cracks or chinks in)

crack (cause to become cracked)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "crack"):

crack (break partially but keep its integrity)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Sentence examples:

The glass tubes crack
These glasses crack easily

Sense 2

Meaning:

Make a very sharp explosive sound

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Context example:

His gun cracked

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

cracker (firework consisting of a small explosive charge and fuse in a heavy paper casing)

cracking (a sudden sharp noise)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make a sharp sound

Classified under:

Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling

Synonyms:

crack; snap

Context example:

his fingers snapped

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

go; sound (make a certain noise or sound)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

cracker (a party favor consisting of a paper roll (usually containing candy or a small favor) that pops when pulled at both ends)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Hit forcefully; deal a hard blow, making a cracking noise

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Context example:

The teacher cracked him across the face with a ruler

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

hit (deal a blow to, either with the hand or with an instrument)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody with something

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to crack his opponent

Derivation:

cracking (the act of cracking something)

Sense 5

Meaning:

Pass through (a barrier)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

break through; crack

Context example:

Registrations cracked through the 30,000 mark in the county

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

pass (go across or through)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Break partially but keep its integrity

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The glass cracked

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

break; check; crack (become fractured; break or crack on the surface only)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "crack"):

chap (crack due to dehydration)

craze (develop a fine network of cracks)

alligator (crack and acquire the appearance of alligator hide, as from weathering or improper application; of paint and varnishes)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

crack (a long narrow opening)

Sense 7

Meaning:

Break suddenly and abruptly, as under tension

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

crack; snap

Context example:

The pipe snapped

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

break; come apart; fall apart; separate; split up (become separated into pieces or fragments)

Sentence frames:

Something ----s
Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sense 8

Meaning:

Gain unauthorized access computers with malicious intentions

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Context example:

crack a safe

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

break; break in (enter someone's (virtual or real) property in an unauthorized manner, usually with the intent to steal or commit a violent act)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

cracker (a programmer who cracks (gains unauthorized access to) computers, typically to do malicious things)

Sense 9

Meaning:

Suffer a nervous breakdown

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

break up; collapse; crack; crack up; crock up

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

get; have; suffer; sustain (undergo (as of injuries and illnesses))

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s

Sense 10

Meaning:

Tell spontaneously

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Context example:

crack a joke

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

narrate; recite; recount; tell (narrate or give a detailed account of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Derivation:

crack (witty remark)

Sense 11

Meaning:

Cause to become cracked

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

heat and light cracked the back of the leather chair

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

break; check; crack (become fractured; break or crack on the surface only)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "crack"):

check; chink (make cracks or chinks in)

fissure (break into fissures or fine cracks)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They crack the glass tubes

Sense 12

Meaning:

Reduce (petroleum) to a simpler compound by cracking

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

break down; break up; decompose (separate (substances) into constituent elements or parts)

Cause:

crack (break into simpler molecules by means of heat)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Derivation:

cracking (the process whereby heavy molecules of naphtha or petroleum are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight (especially in the oil-refining process))

Sense 13

Meaning:

Break into simpler molecules by means of heat

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Context example:

The petroleum cracked

Hypernyms (to "crack" is one way to...):

change (undergo a change; become different in essence; losing one's or its original nature)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s

Derivation:

cracking (the process whereby heavy molecules of naphtha or petroleum are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight (especially in the oil-refining process))

 Context examples 

Geochemists explored the outcrop in a submersible, hoping to collect samples of the warm fluids that emerge from cracks in the rocks.

(Giant group of octopus moms discovered in the deep sea, National Science Foundation)

Approximately 10 per cent of all eggs break or crack before consumption, which increases the risk of food poisoning and infections such as Salmonella.

(Study paves way for healthier and more robust eggs, University of Granada)

The dark material that lines the fracture walls reflects an earlier episode of fluid flow than the white, calcium-sulfate-rich veins do, although both flows occurred after the cracks formed.

(Curiosity Eyes Prominent Mineral Veins on Mars, NASA)

As a result of this temperature change, rocks may begin to crack and break down, and eventually particles could be ejected from the surface.

(NASA's OSIRIS-REx Explains Bennu Mystery Particles, NASA)

Some moons around the gas giant planets in the outer solar system have cracked surfaces with evidence for ocean interiors – Jupiter's moon Europa and Saturn's moon Enceladus are two examples.

(Cracks in Pluto's moon could indicate it once had an underground ocean, NASA)

In 2014, a crack that had been slowly growing into the ice shelf for decades suddenly started to spread northwards, creating the nascent iceberg.

(Massive Iceberg Breaks Off from Antarctica, NASA)

Symptoms include itching, burning, and cracked, scaly skin between your toes.

(Athlete's Foot, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Warm water, being on top, tends to become even more likely to find these cracks, so increasing the ice mass' melt rate.

(Scientists describe how 'upside-down rivers' of warm water break Antarctica's ice shelf, Wikinews)

Based on a series of mud cracks at a location named "Old Soaker," the team already knew the area had intermittent drier periods.

(NASA's Curiosity Rover Finds an Ancient Oasis on Mars, NASA)

To live, for me, Jane, is to stand on a crater-crust which may crack and spue fire any day.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)