EnglishMain Dictionary
crack
Universal Words
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] ~ 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] [nopassive] 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 * (spoken) 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] ~ (open) a bottle (informal) to open a bottle, especially of wine, and drink it
a joke
10 [VN] ~ a joke (informal) to tell a joke
IDIOMS
get cracking (informal) to begin immediately and work quickly:
There's a lot to be done, so let's get cracking.
not all, everything, etc. sb's cracked up to be (informal) not as good as people say:
He's not nearly such a good writer as he's cracked up to be.
moreatSLEDGEHAMMER
PHRASALVERBS
crack down (on sb/sth) to try harder to prevent an illegal activity and deal more severely with those who are caught doing it:
Police are cracking down on drug dealers.
relatednounCRACKDOWN
crack on (with sth) (BrE, informal) to work hard at sth so that you finish it quickly; to pass or continue quickly:
If we crack on with the painting we should finish it today. * Time was cracking on and we were nowhere near finished.
crack up (informal)
1 to become ill, either physically or mentally, because of pressure:
You'll crack up if you carry on working like this.
2 to start laughing a lot:
He walked in and everyone just cracked up.
crack sb up (informal) to make sb laugh a lot:
Gill's so funny, she just cracks me up.
noun
break
1 [C] ~ (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] ~ (on sth) a sharp blow that can be heard:
She fell over and got a nasty crack on the head.
attempt
5 [C] ~ (at sth)