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Webster's Dictionary (1865)

4 entries under this word

Crack

Crăck, v. t.

verbtransitive

[imp. & p. p. CRACKED (krăkt); p. pr. & vb. n. CRACKING.] [Fr. craquer, D. kraken, Dan. krakke, Ger. krachen, Gael. & Ir. crac.]

Sense 1. To break without entire separation of the parts; to burst into chinks; to shiver; to fissure; as, to crack glass or ice.

One vial full of Edward’s sacred blood . . . Is cracked, and all the precious liquor split. Shak.

Sense 2. To rend with grief or pain; to affect deeply with sorrow; to distress; hence, to disorder; to derange.

O, madam, my old heart is cracked. Shak. He thought none poets till their brains were cracked. Roscommon.

Sense 3. To cause to sound abruptly and sharply, with noise like that of rending; to snap; as, to crack a whip.

Sense 4. To utter smartly and sententiously; as, to crack a joke.

Sense 5. To cry up; to extol; to puff;—followed by up. [Low.]

Crăck, v. i.

verbintransitive

v. i. 1. To open in chinks; to become fissured; to be fractured without quite separating into parts; to burst. By misfortune it cracked in the cooling. Boyle. 2. To go to pieces; to be ruined or impaired. The credit . . . of exchequers cracks, when little comes in and much goes out. Dryden. 3. To utter a loud or sharp, sudden sound. I will board her though she chide as loud As thunder when the clouds in autumn crack. Shak. 4. To utter vain, pompous, blustering words; to brag; to boast;—with of. [Low.] Ethiops of their sweet complexion crack. Shak.

Crāck, n.

noun

n. [See supra.]

  1. A partial separation of the parts of a substance, 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. A sharp sound, uttered abruptly or with vehemence; the sound of any thing suddenly rent; a violent report; as, the crack of a falling house; the crack of a whip.
  3. The tone of voice when changed at puberty.

Though now our voices Have got the mannish crack. Shak.

  1. Craziness of intellect; insanity; lunacy.
  2. A crazy person; an insane man.

I ... can not get Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me as a crack and a projector. Addison.

  1. A boast. “Cracks and brags.” Burton.
  2. A boaster. “Vain-glorious cracks.” Spenser.
  3. Breach of chastity. [Obs.] Shak.
  4. A prostitute. [Low.]
  5. A boy, generally a pert, lively boy; one that cracks or boasts.

Since we are turned cracks, let us study to be like cracks: practice their language and behaviors: act freely, carelessly, capriciously, as if our veins ran with quicksilver. B. Jonson. 11. A brief time; an instant; as, to be with one in a crack. [Low.]

Crăck, a.

adjective

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