crack1 verbcrack2 nouncrack3 adjective
crackcrack1 /kræk/ ●●● S2 W2 verb 
WORD ORIGINcrack1
Origin:
Old English cracianVERB TABLE
crack
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | crack |
| he, she, it | cracks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | cracked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have cracked |
| he, she, it | has cracked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had cracked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will crack |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have cracked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am cracking |
| he, she, it | is cracking | |
| you, we, they | are cracking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was cracking |
| you, we, they | were cracking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been cracking |
| he, she, it | has been cracking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been cracking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be cracking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been cracking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- A few windows cracked from the heat during the fire.
- A stone hit the windshield and cracked it.
- A strong earthquake cracked buildings in northwest China.
- Cowboys cracked their whips as they herded cattle.
- Detectives finally cracked the murder case.
- Don't put delicate china in the dishwasher - it may crack.
- Freeman cracked his skull in the accident.
- Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he'll just keep on trying till he cracks it.
- Harding missed seven weeks of baseball practice after cracking a rib.
- He slipped and cracked his head on the steps.
- Her stiff joints cracked as she got out of her easy chair.
- Historians used the Rosetta stone to crack the code of Egyptian hieroglyphics.
- Hold the egg in your hand and gently crack the shell with a knife.
- I cracked one of the wine glasses when I was washing it.
- If I don't get some time off soon, I'll be so stressed I'll crack up.
- It's a tough case but I'm determined to crack it.
- It's the first time the Spartans have cracked the top 20 in the rankings.
- Jim cracked his head on the bottom of the bunkbed.
- Mary cracked her knee on the corner of her desk.
- Milken's voice cracked on the first word. "Guilty, your honor."
- But forgive him if his voice cracks or he stumbles over a word.
- From 27 February, eight score draws will no longer be enough to crack open the champagne.
- Hereford usually crack or collapse in the dying minutes.
- Koeman was involved everywhere and cracked in a 35-yard shot which cannoned back off the post after 48 minutes.
- The international banking system began to crack.
- The sheeting - you know, the polythene sounded like whips cracking when the wind got into it.
- This would be the day that I finally cracked the North Shore.
THESAURUSto become broken
verb [intransitive] to become damaged and separate into pieces: · Plastic breaks quite easily.
verb [intransitive] to break after being hit with a lot of force: · The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
verb [intransitive] to break into a lot of small pieces: · The glass shattered all over the pavement.
verb [intransitive] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces: · The ice was starting to crack.
verb [intransitive] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it: · She blew up the balloon until it burst.
verb [intransitive] to break in a straight line: · The damp had caused the wood to split.
verb [intransitive] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces: · The cork just crumbled in my hand.
Longman Language Activatorto break a bone in your body · I broke my leg last time I went skiing.· She slipped on the floor, it'd just been washed, and broke her hip.· They thought he'd broken his back, but the X-ray showed it was okay.
to partly break a bone : · She slipped and cracked a rib.· Freeman cracked his skull in the accident.
to break or partly break a bone in your body - used especially by doctors: · My grandmother fell down the stairs and fractured her ankle.· He fractured both his legs in the car accident.
to break a bone in someone's body into a lot of small pieces, especially by shooting or hitting them: · The nine-year-old boy was hit by a car and shattered his skull on the pavement.· The bullet shattered a bone in her left forearm.
especially American, informal to break one of the bones in your body: · She fell and busted her knee.
to break into pieces · She dropped a plate and it broke.· My watchband has broken.· The ice broke and they both fell through.· The cam belt broke and ruined the engine.
if something gets broken , someone breaks it accidentally: · If you leave your toys on the floor, they'll get broken.· A few of the cups got broken while we were moving house.· When her grandchildren visit, she puts away anything she doesn't want to get broken.
if something cracks , it breaks slightly so that lines appear in its surface: · The bell cracked after many years of use.· A few windows cracked from the heat during the fire.· The pipeline had cracked a long time before the oil spill occurred.
if something such as a floor, wall, or bridge gives way , it finally breaks because there is a lot of pressure or weight on it: · He was changing a light bulb when the ladder gave way.· The crowd surged forward and the fence gave way.· The whole side of the hill gave way after a week of heavy rain.
informal if something busts , it breaks: · The toy is made of a balloon in a cloth sack that can be hit without busting.bust open (=break in such a way that what is inside can come out): · His suitcase busted open, and everything went all over the floor in the hotel lobby.
to break something into pieces to break something, either accidentally or deliberately: · She fell off her bike and broke her glasses.· If you break it you'll have to pay for it out of your allowance.· I broke one of her platters once, and I swear she's never forgiven me.· He once broke a window of his grandfather's greenhouse with a football.
spoken informal to break something: · The ball hit him in the face and bust his glasses.· He busted the side window with a bat.bust something up/bust up something: · Dean got really drunk and started busting up the bar.bust something down/bust down something: · The police had to bust down the door.
to break or damage something so that cracks appear in its surface: · A stone hit the windshield and cracked it.· I cracked one of the wine glasses when I was washing it.· The earthquake cracked walls and driveways and knocked out electricity and communications.
to hit someone or something accidentally · Be careful with that stick! You nearly hit me with it.· There's a chip on the windshield where a stone hit it.hit somebody on the head/knee etc · The ball hit me in the face.hit your head/knee/elbow etc · The ceiling's very low. Mind you don't hit your head.hit something on/against something · I hit my elbow on the corner of that table.get hit · He ran out into the road and almost got hit.· Buildings that had gotten hit by bombs had still not been repaired.
if you bump into something or someone, you hit them with part of your body accidentally when you are walking or running somewhere: · Jim turned suddenly and bumped into me.· The room was dark, and I bumped into the door .
to accidentally and suddenly hit part of your body against something: bump your head/elbow/knee etc: · Babies are always bumping their heads.bump against: · His right leg bumped against the parking brake.
formal if something, especially a heavy object, strikes something or someone, it hits them hard once: · A house nearby had been struck by a falling tree.· The ball struck him in the face.
to hit someone or something extremely hard, especially while moving very fast: · Tyler injured his shoulder when he crashed into Jesse Lyons during practice.· Parts of the satellite crashed into the sea.go crashing into somebody/something: · He stopped suddenly, and I went crashing into him.· Glasses and bottles went crashing to the floor.
to hit someone or something with a short quick movement: · She knocked me with her elbow as she passed.knock against: · The heavy video camera knocked against his hip as he walked.knock into: · She turned and ran, knocking into bystanders as she went.knock something against/into something: · One of the movers knocked the sofa against a doorway.
to hit someone or something hard, often making a noise and hurting someone or damaging something: bang your head/knee/elbow etc: · I banged my head getting into the car.bang something into/against/on etc something: · Tom bashed his knee against the table.· He slipped, banging his guitar against the door.bang/bash into/against: · Kids raced around the playground, banging into each other, screaming, and letting off steam.
if two people or things collide , they accidentally hit each other when they are moving in different directions: · Barker and Mason collided while going for the ball.· When the plates of land that form the earth collide or slide past each other, earthquakes result.collide with: · I backed out of the door and promptly collided with someone. 'I'm sorry,' I said.
to hit your head, knee, elbow etc hard and painfully against something: crack something on/against something: · He slipped and cracked his head on the steps.· Mary cracked her knee on the corner of her desk.
to make someone laugh · Rachel used to make us all laugh by imitating the teacher.· Thanks for your letter. It really made me laugh.
informal to be very funny and to make people laugh a lot: · Mr Bean really cracks me up. He's so funny.
to succeed in making people laugh, especially when they do not really feel like laughing: · None of my carefully-prepared jokes managed to raise a laugh.
also have somebody in fits British to make someone laugh uncontrollably: · Roger had us in hysterics with his account of his disastrous trip to Italy.· The cast included Paul Shane, whose quick wit had the audience in stitches.
if something amuses someone, it makes them laugh or smile because it is fairly funny: · Something in the report had obviously amused him.it amuses somebody to see/think something: · It amuses me to see politicians so eager to please at election time.
to become mentally ill to become mentally ill, usually as a result of working too hard or difficult emotional problems, and be temporarily unable to deal with ordinary things such as working or looking after your family: · After her divorce, Dora had a nervous breakdown and was off work for three months.· She sounds really bad. I think she's heading for a nervous breakdown.
informal to suddenly become unable to continue your normal life, especially because you have been working too hard or doing something that is very frightening, dangerous etc: · I think Paul's cracking up under the strain of work.· Some people can't cope with the death of a loved one, and simply crack up.
also go mad British, /go crazy especially American to become seriously and permanently mentally ill - used in ordinary English, but not official or medical contexts: · Eventually, rejected by Hamlet, Ophelia goes mad and drowns herself.· I wondered if I was going crazy. Everyone seemed to be against me.· Conditions on the oil rig are very unpleasant. You'd go insane if you had to stay more than a month or so.
to open a bottle, can, jar to open a bottle, box, or other container by removing or lifting its top or lid: · Ask the waiter to open another bottle of champagne.· a little gadget that helps you to open jars
to remove the top or lid of a bottle or container by turning it: · Robyn unscrewed a jar of moisturiser and smoothed it over her face.· Pills are stored in containers with tops that are difficult for children to unscrew.
to open a bottle of alcohol: crack open something: · Let's crack open a bottle of champagne.crack something/it open: · We cracked a few cans of beer open and sat down to watch the game.
to open a bottle of wine by removing the cork. The cork is a piece of wood which is put in the top of the bottle: · Ray uncorked the bottle and offered me a glass of wine.
to find the answer or explanation to something to find the explanation to something that is difficult to understand, for example a crime or a mystery: · The role of the press is to sell newspapers, not to solve crime.· At last astronomers have solved the mystery of the rings encircling the planet Saturn.· These games encourage children's ability to solve puzzles using their mathematical skills.
to find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand, by thinking carefully about it and using the information available to you: figure out/work out how/why/what etc: · My husband bought me a knitting machine for Christmas but I still haven't figured out how it works.· From the evidence gathered from witnesses we should be able to work out what happened that night.figure/work out something: · The police haven't even managed to figure out a motive.figure/work something out: · Don't tell him the answer - let him work it out for himself.
to find a way of explaining something, especially after trying for a fairly long time: · Sheena has had these stomach pains before, but the doctors think they have found an explanation this time.find an explanation for: · No one has been able to find a rational explanation for the ship's sudden disappearance.
to find the whole explanation for something that is strange and difficult to understand, so that it is completely solved: clear up something: · I was hoping that your research would clear up a question that has been bothering me.clear something up: · Can you clear something up for us? How old are you?· The Dreyfus case was never completely cleared up. It remains a mystery.
informal to find the explanation for something such as a crime or something that is difficult to understand, especially after trying for a long time: · It's a tough case but I'm determined to crack it.· Give Tom a mathematical puzzle and he'll just keep on trying till he cracks it.
to gradually find the explanation for something that is difficult to understand because it is very complicated: · We are only just beginning to unravel the mysteries of the human brain.· Can scientists unravel the complex interactions of chemicals within foods?
to stop something bad or illegal that people are doing · We must take action to stop this illegal trade in ivory.· All the staff are determined to stop bullying in the school.stop somebody from doing something · The new measures are intended to stop troublemakers from travelling abroad to football matches.
to stop an activity, especially one that you consider to be harmful or unacceptable: · Using children in this way is pure exploitation, and it's time we put a stop to it!· She knew that if she didn't put a stop to their squabbling now, it could go on for weeks.
to completely stop an illegal or harmful activity: · The police have introduced new measures to help stamp out violence on the city's streets.· We are determined to stamp out prostitution in this neighborhood.
to take severe action to stop an illegal activity: · The authorities are determined to crack down on terrorism.· Teachers must crack down on bullying as soon as they become aware of it.· Only by cracking down on dealers, can we stop young people getting involved with drugs.
to officially order that an activity should be stopped, especially after it has continued for a long time: · The government has called a halt to the exporting of live animals.· Companies must call a halt to the dumping of toxic waste at sea.
if someone in authority clamps down on an activity or group of people, they take firm action to stop something that is illegal or against the rules: · The new, tougher laws are intended clamp down on the carrying of knives and other weapons.· If we don't clamp down on these troublemakers now, the situation could get out of control.
to prevent something harmful from increasing and start to control and reduce it: · The only way to curb the spread of the disease is by immunizing the entire population.· The government is introducing new measures aimed at curbing inflation.
to deal very strictly with bad behaviour or crime to deal very strictly with a bad behaviour or crime by punishing people severely for it: · You'll find that Mr Evans comes down very hard on people who don't do their job properly.· The authorities are really coming down hard on tax evasion.
to start dealing with an illegal activity in a much stricter way than before: · The Athletics Federation plans to crack down on drug and steroid abuse by athletes.· The government has promised to crack down on crime.· City authorities were quick to crack down on the rioters.
to treat a particular crime or activity much more strictly than before to stop it from becoming more common: · New laws will clamp down on the illegal smuggling of cigarettes and tobacco.· Recently the courts have clamped down on joy-riding.
to make rules, laws, or controls more strict so that it is harder for people to break them: · The prime minister has promised to tighten up the law on carbon dioxide emissions.tighten up on: · The music industry is determined to tighten up on the illegal copying of CDs.
WORD SETSablaze, adjectiveacoustic, adjectiveacoustics, nounaglow, adjectivebaa, verbbabble, verbbabble, nounbabel, nounbaby talk, nounbackfire, verbbackground, nounbang, nounbang, verbbang, interjectionbark, verbbark, nounbattle cry, nounbay, verbbeat, verbbeat, nounbellow, verbbellow, nounblare, verbblast, nounbleat, verbbleep, nounbleep, verbblip, nounbong, nounboom, nounboom, verbbowwow, interjectionbrassy, adjectivebray, verbbrazen, adjectivebreathy, adjectivebubble, verbbump, nounchatter, verbchatter, nounclink, verbclink, nouncrack, verbcrack, nouncrackle, verbcrackling, nouncrash, verbcrash, nouncreak, verbcreaky, adjectivecroak, verbcroak, nouncrow, nouncrow, verbcrunch, nouncrunch, verbding-dong, noundiscord, noundiscordant, adjectivedrone, verbdrone, noundrown, verbdrum, verbdrumbeat, noundrumming, noundull, adjectiveecho, verbecho, nounfizz, verbflat, adjectivefootfall, nounfootstep, nounfusillade, noungrinding, adjectivegroan, verbgroan, noungrunt, verbgrunt, nounguffaw, verbgunshot, nounguttural, adjectivehigh, adjectivehigh, adverbhiss, verbindistinct, adjectiveirregular, adjectivelow, verbmarbled, adjectivematching, adjectivemellow, adjectivemelodic, adjectivemelodious, adjectivemetallic, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmodulate, verbmonotone, nounmoo, verbmurmur, verbmurmur, nounmusical, adjectivemusically, adverbmute, verbnasal, adjectivenoise, nounoink, interjectionoof, interjectionpatter, verbpatter, nounpeal, nounpeal, verbpenetrating, adjectivepercussion, nounpsychedelic, adjectivepulse, nounputter, verbquack, verbquack, nounquaver, nounracket, nounrasp, verbrasp, nounraspberry, nounrat-a-tat, nounrattle, nounraucous, adjectivereedy, adjectivereport, nounresonance, nounresonant, adjectiveresonate, verbresonator, nounresound, verbresounding, adjectivereverberate, verbreverberation, nounrich, adjectivering, nounring, verbringing, adjectiveripple, verbripple, nounroar, nounroaring, adjectiveroll, verbrough, adjectiverustle, verbrustle, nounscratch, verbscratch, nounscream, verbscream, nounscrunch, verbsmoky, adjectivesnarl, verbsoft, adjectivesoft-spoken, adjectivesonorous, adjectivesotto voce, adverbsplosh, verbsweet, adjectiveswoosh, verbtick-tock, nountinny, adjectivetonal, adjectivevivid, adjectivevowel, nounwail, verbweak, adjectivewhack, nounwham, interjectionwhine, verbwhinny, verbwhirr, verbwhistle, verbwhistle, nounyelp, nounyowl, verbzoom, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Dennis rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles. She cracked him over the head with a hammer. I think we’ve cracked the problem of the computer crashing all the time. It took them nearly two months to crack the code. This new evidence could help detectives to crack the case. He seems to have got it cracked. The police are cracking down hard on violent crime.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane. We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them). A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler. The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
Dennis rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles. She cracked him over the head with a hammer. I think we’ve cracked the problem of the computer crashing all the time. It took them nearly two months to crack the code. This new evidence could help detectives to crack the case. He seems to have got it cracked. The police are cracking down hard on violent crime. (=discover how to understand a code)· The Enigma machine was used to crack the enemy codes.
I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane.· Glass will crack if too much pressure is put on it.
· We could feel the ice cracking beneath our feet.
(=a noise with a particular kind of sound)· The water moved through the pipes with a loud gurgling noise.
We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them). A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler. (=become unable to continue normally because of the strain)· They are worried that the court system might collapse under the strain.
(=one extremely loud sound)· Lightning flickered across the sky, followed seconds later by a loud crack of thunder.
(=the best, most skilled or most experienced troops)· The general's headquarters is guarded by crack troops.
(=becomes higher or unsteady because they are upset)· Her voice broke and she was unable to continue.
The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.· The former general campaigned on two policies: cracking down on crime and tackling corruption.· He adds that there also is a push to crack down on magazines and newspapers that advertise the devices.· Synod members were under pressure to crack down on gay clergy, who were portrayed as leading lives of wild abandon!· Airlines reportedly are cracking down on this thriving but illegal trade.· But conservative lobbying and fears of a voter backlash have prompted the government to crack down.· The authorities have been reluctant to crack down on pachinko for other reasons as well.· The U. S. Department of Labor has cracked down on wage violations in the past four years.
· After a few minutes he managed to crack open the lock with a kitchen knife.· She refused the porter's offer to crack open the bottle, and settled herself for a long wait.· From 27 February, eight score draws will no longer be enough to crack open the champagne.
· She'd never get through the ordeal without cracking up completely.· He routinely cuts his assistant in half, then cracks up his audience with a bit of rib-tickling humor.· Whatever happened she mustn't crack up.· When Joseph told it to me, I cracked up.· Janir and Matt were cracking up.· Then I sow one of my colleagues die from a heart attack and two others crack up under the strain.· This concrete path is cracking up under the strain of thousands of paws padding over it.
NOUN· She refused the porter's offer to crack open the bottle, and settled herself for a long wait.
· But how are we to interpret the symbolism of other cultures; how can we crack their symbolic codes?· He cracked that code in a hurry!· Once the team has cracked this bidding code, they should be able to subvert it.· Cecil Phillips thrived on the cerebral challenge of cracking Soviet codes.· Paul used his computer to crack the code and continued as before.· What they must do to achieve that is crack the code that enables them to win the big match.
· But it's not though they've cracked one big crime ring.· The 1995 law punishes crack cocaine crimes 100 times more severely than powder cocaine crimes, the association said.· The former general campaigned on two policies: cracking down on crime and tackling corruption.· In Wiltshire trading standards officers have made an important breakthrough in cracking the crime.
· Drain and refresh immediately in cold water, cracking the egg shells to allow the eggs to cool more quickly. 3.· If ever a sledge hammer had been used to crack an egg, this was the time.· The vulture is manipulating the stone and using it as an extension of its beak to crack the egg.· His notion of cracking an egg is to shoot an atomic blast at it.· He cracked some eggs into a saucepan, adding milk and butter.· The sides of the bus were soon cracking with rocks and eggs.· Brown Owl let me and my friend crack an egg in a bowl.
· But conservative lobbying and fears of a voter backlash have prompted the government to crack down.· Now the Government has proposed to crack down on mileage allowances by taxing drivers who cover large distances.
· Leonora flinched as his head cracked painfully against the lintel.· He struck me hard across the mouth so that my head cracked back against the bathroom wall.· The dead man fell backwards, his head cracking against the lap of a stone buddha.
· Since the stonemasons were usually allowed to create their own designs, they were also given the freedom to crack good jokes.· I cracked jokes, told stories, performed little tricks with the silverware.· Maxie Carlo must've cracked a joke.· Both laughed delightedly, as if I had cracked some very funny joke.· And he was clean and tidy now, and civil, and could even crack a joke.· Before tempers flared, Dutriz cracked a joke, and talk returned to the news.· When he cracks a joke or whatever he does in front of the class, he just turn round and laugh.· Mike and his robots maintain their sanity by cracking jokes during the movie.
· Karma Rubbish smokes at the end of the garden, cracking its knuckles to pass the time.· He sighed a lot, stretched his legs, cracked his knuckles.· Dennis put his glass down and cracked his knuckles dramatically.· It felt like he was cracking a knuckle.· Wishart rubbed his hands together, cracking his knuckles as he tried to control his anger.· Between moves he cracked his knuckles.· Tom was trembling, sitting on the edge of a chair cracking his knuckles.
· Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.· Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.· West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.· One glance was all it took to realise this was one hard nut to crack - his features still completely impassive.· He who eats the nut must first crack the shell Jeremy Cherfas Walnuts come in hard and convoluted shells.
· The consortium's spokesman Chris Rowley claims his group is the only one to have cracked the retuning problem.· Our fishermen had cracked the problem.· But I've cracked the collection problem.· Apple themselves had already cracked the communications problem with the AppleTalk network.
· It nicked a lung and probably cracked a rib, but it didn't open the abdomen.· I left my body while he did in my cracked ribs.· He was reported to have also suffered cracked ribs and a broken jaw as a result of the difference of opinion.· Glavine cracked a rib three years ago and missed one start.· Once he had actually cracked her rib.· A couple of weeks later the male chorus danced straight into him, elbows akimbo, and cracked his ribs.· Coulthard, who despite x-rays to the contrary believes he has cracked a rib, made only passing reference to the discomfort.
· Bowman cracked the seal, and pressed the button.
· Koeman was involved everywhere and cracked in a 35-yard shot which cannoned back off the post after 48 minutes.· He crossed from the left and when Freestone failed to cut out the ball Ryan pounced to crack in a shot.· Beresford fed the ball in to Robert Lee, who turned and cracked a shot against the crossbar.· I still have vivid memories of Chappy bursting between two defenders and cracking a shot against the bar.
· You could crack your skull on that intractable stone, or it could scoop out spoonfuls of flesh.· Donlan suffered a cracked skull and his nasal septum was pushed out of place.· He has also cracked his skull and still carries the scar.· If he had smiled a moment sooner Hicks would have cracked his skull.· John Charlton fell heavily, cracking his skull on a kerbstone.· I cracked his skull with a club, and they say it shook his brain loose.· Unfortunately, leaping from my seat in the dugout, I cracked my skull on its roof and the world turned black.
· Terence's face went from being startled by his attack to astonishment, then might have cracked into a smile.· The model they kept in mind was the Hewlett-Packard 3000, a minicomputer that had never cracked a smile in its life.· Red cracks a smile and moves on to get her due from the bench.
· One of the professional golfers had cracked under the strain yesterday.· The ruling Gaullists and the Communists alike were in danger of cracking under the strain of the May Events.· Then I sow one of my colleagues die from a heart attack and two others crack up under the strain.· This concrete path is cracking up under the strain of thousands of paws padding over it.
· Dole himself, his voice cracking, can barely get through his words: This is a great honor for Bob Dole.· The boys' voices had cracked and deepened.· The voice cracked around her like a bullwhip.· My voice almost cracked as I made a little speech thanking them.· Michael Portillo seemed ill at ease, and his voice squeaked and cracked like a choirboy.· But forgive him if his voice cracks or he stumbles over a word.· She said his name, and her voice cracked.· But at 13, his voice cracked.
· Then the horn, and a hound yelped briefly as a whip cracked.· Trumpets sounded, drums beat, whips cracked, mules squealed, and teamsters cursed.· The sheeting - you know, the polythene sounded like whips cracking when the wind got into it.
· Two shots were fired at the wall, cracking the front window.
VERB· The international banking system began to crack.· But having so little elasticity, that crust has also begun to crack.· If tortillas begin cracking or breaking as you fold them, briefly heat them to soften.
· He could hear the wings cracking, like whips beating the air.· Meanwhile, have you ever heard Payton or Kemp crack a joke?
· But, three months later, the paint has started to crack and flake.· Now the tunneling goes by, and my building starts cracking and sinking into the ground.· So now your dream starts to crack.· It is a nation with a contented image of itself that could be starting to crack.
· He has tried to crack down on corruption.· They also have become a popular target for local legislators trying to crack down on gun violence.· I may even try to crack Stanford.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► crack a smile► crack open a bottle► something is not all/everything it’s cracked up to bePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► give somebody a fair crack of the whip
1break [intransitive, transitive] to break or to make something break, either so that it gets lines on its surface, or so that it breaks into pieces: - A drawback of this fire-setting technique is that it was liable to impair the value of the product by cracking it.
- Even some respected well-known all-round big-fish anglers have yet to crack it.
- He stopped outside the kitchen door and carefully cracked it open a fraction - and looked straight into Jane's wide eyes.
- In the absence of mathematical proofs of security, nothing builds confidence in a cryptosystem like sustained attempts to crack it.
- The grenade left his grip at almost the same moment as another beam struck him full across the carapace, cracking it.
- When Bobbie went on struggling I pushed her head against the floor, wincing at the crack it made.
- He was relaxed and cracking jokes, despite his ordeal.
- And he was clean and tidy now, and civil, and could even crack a joke.
- Before tempers flared, Dutriz cracked a joke, and talk returned to the news.
- I cracked jokes, told stories, performed little tricks with the silverware.
- Maxie Carlo must've cracked a joke.
- Mike and his robots maintain their sanity by cracking jokes during the movie.
- They crack jokes, laughing and shouting.
- We all cracked jokes over the intercom and talked about what we were going to do.
- When he cracks a joke or whatever he does in front of the class, he just turn round and laugh.
- Come on! - get cracking. I want this whole house clean by the time I get back.
- Get cracking you people! I want the whole house cleaned by four o'clock.
- I'm going to the library - I've got to get cracking on this paper.
- It's time you got cracking with your homework.
- When Alf arrives we'll get cracking moving the furniture.
- You'd better get cracking if you want to get to the airport by ten.
- As far as I was concerned, it was time to shake our toes and get cracking.
- It was here the Saltwater Fisherman players finally got cracking.
- Then get cracking, drop me a line with your suggestions.
- As editor, Dorothy likes to crack the whip.
- On February 22, Dawson and the others cracked the whip and the vote poured out.
- All those crack shits shooting up the streets?
- It nearly cracked me up and he could see what it did to me.
- It used to crack me up.
- It was funny, he cracked me up last night.
- Maintenance men could tell whether a pole - wooden or concrete - is dangerously cracked before shinning up it.
- Most of the humor consists of watching Shore crack himself up with his own Valley garble.
- The cloud is like a magnet so the water goes through the cracks and goes up.
- She had a hairline fracture in her leg.
- I was worried about a hairline fracture, but luckily it was just a bad lump.
- The specialist he consulted on Monday diagnosed a hairline fracture of his right wrist and wants to take another look on Friday.
- Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites.
- Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
- Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
- West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
- Conversely, if you have been papering over the cracks of a relationship these same eclipses will seek them out.
- He did his best to paper over the cracks.
- King Birendra enjoyed considerable popularity, which enabled him to paper over the cracks in his divided kingdom.
- The private finance initiative has not papered over the cracks, although it has lined plenty of pockets.
Don’t put boiling water in the glass or it will crack. Concrete is liable to crack in very cold weather. He picked up a piece of rock and cracked it in half. She fell and cracked a bone in her leg. He cracked a couple of eggs into a pan.► see thesaurus at break2sound [intransitive, transitive] to make a quick loud sound like the sound of something breaking, or to make something do this: Thunder cracked overhead. He cracked his whip and galloped off. Dennis rubbed his hands together and cracked his knuckles.3hit [transitive] to hit someone or something hardcrack something on something I slipped and cracked my head on the door. She cracked him over the head with a hammer.4not be able to continue [intransitive] to be unable to continue doing something because there is too much pressure and you do not have the mental strength to continuecrack under Some young executives crack under the pressure of having to meet tough sales targets every month. He cracked under interrogation and confessed.5voice [intransitive] if your voice cracks, it starts to sound different because you are feeling strong emotions: His voice cracked slightly as he tried to explain.6solve/understand [transitive] to find the answer to a problem or manage to understand something that is difficult to understand SYN solve: I think we’ve cracked the problem of the computer crashing all the time. It took them nearly two months to crack the code. This new evidence could help detectives to crack the case.7stop somebody [transitive] informal to stop a person from being successful: Political enemies have tried to crack me.8open a safe [transitive] to open a safe illegally in order to steal the things inside it9computer [transitive] to illegally copy computer software or change free software which may lack certain features of the full version, so that the free software works in the same way as the full version: You can find out how to crack any kind of software on the web.10crack it British English informal to manage to do something successfully: I think we’ve cracked it! He seems to have got it cracked.11crack a joke to tell a joke: He kept cracking jokes about my appearance.12crack a smile to smile, usually only slightly or unwillingly: Even Mr Motts managed to crack a smile at that joke.13crack open a bottle British English informal to open a bottle of alcohol for drinking: We cracked open a few bottles.14get cracking informal to start doing something or going somewhere quickly: I think we need to get cracking if we’re going to catch this train.15crack the whip informal to make people work very hard16something is not all/everything it’s cracked up to be informal used to say that something is not as good as people say it is: I thought the film was OK, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.crack down phrasal verb to become more strict in dealing with a problem and punishing the people involvedcrack down on The government is determined to crack down on terrorism. The police are cracking down hard on violent crime. → crackdowncrack into something phrasal verb to secretly enter someone else’s computer system, especially in order to damage the system or steal the information stored on it: A teenager was accused of cracking into the company’s network.crack on phrasal verb British English informal to continue working hard at something in order to finish itcrack on with I need to crack on with my project work this weekend.crack up phrasal verb informal1crack (somebody) up to laugh a lot at something, or to make someone laugh a lot: Everyone in the class just cracked up. She’s so funny. She cracks me up.2to become unable to think or behave sensibly because you have too many problems or too much work: I was beginning to think I was cracking up!crack1 verbcrack2 nouncrack3 adjective
crackcrack2 ●●● S3 noun EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Cracks began to appear in the facade of their perfect family.
- As I hit the floor, I heard a loud crack in my arm.
- Jagged cracks cut across the thick glass arch over the main entryway.
- Shirley has been addicted to crack for four years.
- The crack in the bedroom wall seems to be widening.
- The branch broke with a sudden crack.
- The X-ray showed several cracks in the bone of her left leg.
- There are a few cracks in the plaster.
- There was a loud crack of thunder as the storm began.
- This cup has a crack in it.
- But somehow her name had slipped through some bureaucratic crack.
- Even with the car windows left open a crack, the temperature inside can reach 120 degrees in less than 30 minutes.
- Goons run rampant; crack is dealt on every corner of the Bronx, and law enforcement is something of a joke.
- Long chains of tiny craters on Phobos suggest the drainage of regolith into deep cracks that riddle its interior.
- Of course it would be ideal to have a material in which it was impossible to initiate cracks at all.
- Then ants would crawl through the cracks in the floor and build a big nest in the middle of the bedroom.
- Through the crack under the door I could smell Shelly loud and clear.
- Thus mild steel structures, for instance, can generally put up with cracks at least a metre long without breaking.
THESAURUS
an empty space in the surface of something, which sometimes goes all the way through it: · A fox had dug a hole under our fence.· Rain was coming in through a hole in the roof.
an empty area between two things, into which you can put something: · Are there any empty spaces on the bookshelf?· a parking space
an empty area between two things or two parts of something, especially one that should not be there: · He has a gap between his two front teeth.· I squeezed through a gap in the hedge.
a hole that something can pass through or that you can see through, especially at the entrance of something: · The train disappeared into the dark opening of the tunnel.· I looked through the narrow opening in the wall.
a small hole where something has been damaged or broken that lets liquid or gas flow in or out: · a leak in the pipe· The plumber’s coming to repair the leak.
especially British English a small hole in a tyre through which air escapes: · My bike’s got a puncture.
a very narrow space between two things or two parts of something: · The snake slid into a crack in the rock.· She was peering through the crack in the curtains.
a straight narrow hole that you put a particular type of object into: · You have to put a coin in the slot before you dial the number.· A small disk fits into a slot in the camera.
a round hole in the ground made by an explosion or by a large object hitting it hard: · a volcanic crater· The meteor left a crater over five miles wide.· the craters on the Moon
Longman Language Activatora long narrow hole across the surface of something a long, narrow line across the surface of a hard substance such as glass or stone where it has been damaged: crack in: · This cup has a crack in it.· The crack in the bedroom wall seems to be widening.
British a long straight hole caused when a material such as plastic or cloth tears: · We suddenly noticed there was a split in the side of the tent.
a long, narrow hole, especially one that you can see through or put things through: · Tania's skirt has a long slit up the back.· I covered my eyes with my hands, watching through the slits between my fingers.
a straight narrow hole, for example on a container, made so that a particular type or size of object can fit through it: · I dropped a quarter in the slot and dialed the number.· The message was placed in every employee's mail slot.
sounds made by something hitting or falling onto something a loud sound caused especially when something hard or heavy hits something else or falls on a surface: · I heard a loud bang - it sounded like something had fallen down upstairs.make a bang: · Small children are often frightrened of fireworks that make a bang.close/land/collide etc with a bang: · The lid of the box fell shut with a bang.
the low dull sound produced when something heavy but soft hits something else or falls on a surface: · I heard a shot, followed by a thud as his body hit the floor.hit/drop/land etc with a thud: · A snowball hit her on the back of the neck with a soft thud.the thud of: · Suddenly we heard the thud of horses' hooves.
a loud sudden very sharp sound like the sound of a stick being broken: · The branch broke with a sudden crack.· As I hit the floor, I heard a loud crack in my arm.
the very loud sound produced when something hard such as metal or glass hits something else or falls on a surface, especially when damage is caused: · There was a loud crash in the bedroom and my dad started yelling.fall/land/hit etc something with a crash: · The whole tray of dishes fell to the floor with a crash.
the loud sound produced when a lot of hard things hit against each other or hit a hard surface: · The clatter in the kitchen told me that Mum was already up.fall/drop etc something with a clatter: · Bert put down his tools with a clatter, and looked round the room.the clatter of something: · Just then there was the clatter of hooves on the road outside.
the dull, fairly quiet sound produced when something such as part of your body hits something or falls against a surface: · At night, the old house seemed to be full of strange creaks and bumps.fall/sit down/hit etc something with a bump: · Martin sat down suddenly with a bump.
the dull, fairly loud sound produced when something heavy suddenly hits something else or falls hard on a surface: · There was a loud thump as Eddie threw Luther back against the wall.hit something/fall etc with a thump: · A suitcase toppled off the top of the wardrobe and landed on the floor with a thump.
WORD SETSablaze, adjectiveacoustic, adjectiveacoustics, nounaglow, adjectivebaa, verbbabble, verbbabble, nounbabel, nounbaby talk, nounbackfire, verbbackground, nounbang, nounbang, verbbang, interjectionbark, verbbark, nounbattle cry, nounbay, verbbeat, verbbeat, nounbellow, verbbellow, nounblare, verbblast, nounbleat, verbbleep, nounbleep, verbblip, nounbong, nounboom, nounboom, verbbowwow, interjectionbrassy, adjectivebray, verbbrazen, adjectivebreathy, adjectivebubble, verbbump, nounchatter, verbchatter, nounclink, verbclink, nouncrack, verbcrack, nouncrackle, verbcrackling, nouncrash, verbcrash, nouncreak, verbcreaky, adjectivecroak, verbcroak, nouncrow, nouncrow, verbcrunch, nouncrunch, verbding-dong, noundiscord, noundiscordant, adjectivedrone, verbdrone, noundrown, verbdrum, verbdrumbeat, noundrumming, noundull, adjectiveecho, verbecho, nounfizz, verbflat, adjectivefootfall, nounfootstep, nounfusillade, noungrinding, adjectivegroan, verbgroan, noungrunt, verbgrunt, nounguffaw, verbgunshot, nounguttural, adjectivehigh, adjectivehigh, adverbhiss, verbindistinct, adjectiveirregular, adjectivelow, verbmarbled, adjectivematching, adjectivemellow, adjectivemelodic, adjectivemelodious, adjectivemetallic, adjectivemoan, verbmoan, nounmodulate, verbmonotone, nounmoo, verbmurmur, verbmurmur, nounmusical, adjectivemusically, adverbmute, verbnasal, adjectivenoise, nounoink, interjectionoof, interjectionpatter, verbpatter, nounpeal, nounpeal, verbpenetrating, adjectivepercussion, nounpsychedelic, adjectivepulse, nounputter, verbquack, verbquack, nounquaver, nounracket, nounrasp, verbrasp, nounraspberry, nounrat-a-tat, nounrattle, nounraucous, adjectivereedy, adjectivereport, nounresonance, nounresonant, adjectiveresonate, verbresonator, nounresound, verbresounding, adjectivereverberate, verbreverberation, nounrich, adjectivering, nounring, verbringing, adjectiveripple, verbripple, nounroar, nounroaring, adjectiveroll, verbrough, adjectiverustle, verbrustle, nounscratch, verbscratch, nounscream, verbscream, nounscrunch, verbsmoky, adjectivesnarl, verbsoft, adjectivesoft-spoken, adjectivesonorous, adjectivesotto voce, adverbsplosh, verbsweet, adjectiveswoosh, verbtick-tock, nountinny, adjectivetonal, adjectivevivid, adjectivevowel, nounwail, verbweak, adjectivewhack, nounwham, interjectionwhine, verbwhinny, verbwhirr, verbwhistle, verbwhistle, nounyelp, nounyowl, verbzoom, noun
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY She opened the door a crack and peeped into the room. The first cracks are beginning to appear in the economic policy. There was a sharp crack as the branch broke off. He’s always making cracks about how stupid I am. The competition’s open to anyone – why don’t you have a crack? They feel they haven’t been given a fair crack of the whip.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane. We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them). A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler. The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
She opened the door a crack and peeped into the room. The first cracks are beginning to appear in the economic policy. There was a sharp crack as the branch broke off. He’s always making cracks about how stupid I am. The competition’s open to anyone – why don’t you have a crack? They feel they haven’t been given a fair crack of the whip. (=discover how to understand a code)· The Enigma machine was used to crack the enemy codes.
I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane.· Glass will crack if too much pressure is put on it.
· We could feel the ice cracking beneath our feet.
(=a noise with a particular kind of sound)· The water moved through the pipes with a loud gurgling noise.
We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them). A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler. (=become unable to continue normally because of the strain)· They are worried that the court system might collapse under the strain.
(=one extremely loud sound)· Lightning flickered across the sky, followed seconds later by a loud crack of thunder.
(=the best, most skilled or most experienced troops)· The general's headquarters is guarded by crack troops.
(=becomes higher or unsteady because they are upset)· Her voice broke and she was unable to continue.
The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.· The glazed surface of the dish was a network of fine cracks.· And it works well, the fine cracks in its surface merely adding to the character of the bass.· Clinging to very fine cracks or imperfections is also out: geckos can cope with polished glass.· Finally we locate the top pitch, a fine crack and poorly protected traverse.· The textured version hides fine surface cracks, and is available in white and three colours.· Griffith therefore postulated that ordinary glass is full of very fine cracks, too small to be seen by any ordinary means.
· A strong wind was now blowing and there was a loud crack of thunder.· Just as they reached it, the hinges surrendered and ripped loose with a loud crack.· With a loud splintering crack the canoe broke, ending all hopes of damaging enemy shipping.· The glass exploded with a loud shot-like crack.
· Sometimes a sharp crack and something falling into darkness.· The umbrella fell to the floor with a sharp crack of the ferrule on the tile.· We're used to the sharp cracks of lightning and the belch of thunder issuing from the belly of the sky.· The bomb detonated with a sharp crack, sending tiny but razor-sharp pieces of metal into the backs of the gun crews.· I was telling myself that it would soon be over when I heard a sharp crack.· Her head hit the concrete with a sharp crack.· The battle did not last long, bursts of automatic fire interspersed with the sharp purposeful cracks of single shots.· The sharp crack of the pistol always brought her awake, cold and shivering.
· A.22 makes only a small crack.· Over time, the surface becomes rougher and small cracks will open.· Make sure that there are no small cracks or openings through which the emerging adult insect can escape.· Golden brown mussels covered the walls of the main fissure and were heaped in mounds over smaller cracks between lobes of lava.· Recently, a small crack appeared in our pedestal hand basin in the bathroom.
· Part of its appeal stemmed from the Tom Bass fountain inset into its wall, a long thin crack in the stone.· Perhaps it's just that we don't have enough of those long, thin granite cracks.
· A very tiny crack appeared in Jess's armour.· But a tiny, treacherous crack of doubt had opened in his mind.· She smashed down hard against it with the hammer, and the window shook, tiny cracks appeared like earthquake faults.· There is only a tiny crack of light under the door.
NOUN· The wind still managed to find a way through the hairline crack, whistling eerily around the interior of the freight car.· A hairline crack runs down through the middle of the glass.
VERB· However, if cracks do appear, you should try brushing a mixture of peat or compost and coarse sand into them.· When a crack appears in a strained material it will open up a little so that the two faces of the crack are separated.· But it was after he'd given her the ring that the cracks had begun to appear in her façade.· Two rows of pegs decorated her succulent crack, making it appear she had a wooden hedgehog between her legs.· As the salt crust thins, so cracks appear in the surface and the flats begin to break up.· In hot summer weather this frequently happens and, when drying is rapid, hair cracks appear.
· It was also harder for students to fall through the cracks.· Still, some children fall through the cracks.· A handful of people fell between the cracks of the Great Divide.
· Patches of ice and snow had begun to fill the crack in the ground.· Hot magma from the mantle would rise to the surface to fill in the crack.· Cracked rendering How do you fill cracks in rendering?· Socks and rags filled the cracks under the doors and around the windows.· But whatever he did, the Jaguar was always there, filling any crack in the traffic with stately inevitability.· Most of us assume that government does the important things and voluntary efforts fill in the cracks.
· In this way the boys in the field still get a crack at the business.· Davis represented a future in which everyone got a crack at the clock.· It was the daylight, what bit that was getting through the cracks of the curtains.· And then by the time they get their first crack at deducing who the polecat is, they will be in custody.· You didn't have to get up at the crack of dawn to work out yardages.· Cardholders get a crack at a jackpot drawing March 7 and other prizes.· Now a huge gash exposes the tree's dark innards, and the wind has got into its cracks.· Do not get mixture into the cracks.
· He heard the clean crack of a leg bone but did not lose consciousness.· Corrigan heard the crack of wood.· As Isaacs continued around Hungerford's narrow streets, he heard the crack of gunfire, at about 9.50.· I squeeze the trigger, recoil, smell the metallic smoke, hear the shotgun crack.· Lampard released the brake as soon as he heard the fierce crack of the first grenade.· Constance heard the crack of his skull and his cry of pain.· I was telling myself that it would soon be over when I heard a sharp crack.· She heard the crack of another can opening behind her.
· Police recently uncovered a ring that was selling crack through two girls living in the tiny town of Downs, population 620.
· I had a second X-ray on my injury last week and it showed that the crack had healed.· It was firm in adversity, especially the well-designed addition, which showed no cracks at all.
· Fog had slipped through a crack into the ivory tower.· But somehow her name had slipped through some bureaucratic crack.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► a crack on the head► a fair crack of the whipPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► give somebody a fair crack of the whip
1gap [countable] a very narrow space between two things or two parts of somethingcrack between- He noticed the crack in her voice as she tried to continue.
- They both had to get up at the crack of dawn the next morning.
- Crowing begins at or just before the crack of dawn -- as my neighbours will testify.
- Farmers are often away at the crack of dawn.
- Get up at the crack of dawn.
- He was up at the crack of dawn doing something unspeakable to the turkey, but the kids were up anyway.
- She was up at the crack of dawn and often not home until late.
- She was up of course, at the crack of dawn and you know, we go eat breakfast and everything so.
- We were woken at the crack of dawn by the pitter patter of seagulls as they pecked for their breakfast.
- We would come in at the crack of dawn, at 7 a. m. every morning.
- She had a hairline fracture in her leg.
- I was worried about a hairline fracture, but luckily it was just a bad lump.
- The specialist he consulted on Monday diagnosed a hairline fracture of his right wrist and wants to take another look on Friday.
- Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites.
- Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
- Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
- West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
- Conversely, if you have been papering over the cracks of a relationship these same eclipses will seek them out.
- He did his best to paper over the cracks.
- King Birendra enjoyed considerable popularity, which enabled him to paper over the cracks in his divided kingdom.
- The private finance initiative has not papered over the cracks, although it has lined plenty of pockets.
He squeezed into a crack between two rocks.crack in He could see them through a crack in the door. She opened the door a crack and peeped into the room.► see thesaurus at hole2break [countable] a thin line on the surface of something when it is broken but has not actually come apartcrack in There were several small cracks in the glass.3weakness [countable] a weakness or fault in an idea, system, or organizationcrack in The cracks in their relationship were starting to show. The first cracks are beginning to appear in the economic policy.4sound [countable] a sudden loud sound like the sound of a stick being brokenloud/sharp crack There was a sharp crack as the branch broke off.crack of We could hear the crack of gunfire in the distance. a crack of thunder5joke [countable] informal a clever joke or rude remarkcrack about I didn’t like his crack about her being overweight. He’s always making cracks about how stupid I am.6attempt [countable] informal an attempt to do something SYN shotcrack at I’d like a crack at climbing that mountain. The competition’s open to anyone – why don’t you have a crack?7drug [uncountable] an illegal drug that some people take for pleasure: crack addicts8body [countable] informal the space between someone’s buttocks9a crack on the head a hard hit on the head: You’ve had a nasty crack on the head and you need to rest.10a crack in somebody’s voice a change in someone’s voice because they are feeling very upset: He noticed the crack in her voice as she tried to continue.11the crack of dawn very early in the morningat the crack of dawn We were up at the crack of dawn.12computer [countable] a piece of information or computer code that lets you illegally change free software which may lack certain features of the full version, so that the free software works in the same way as the full version13a fair crack of the whip British English informal the same chance as other people to do something: They feel they haven’t been given a fair crack of the whip.14another spelling of craiccrack1 verbcrack2 nouncrack3 adjective
crackcrack3 adjective [only before noun] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- She's an accomplished horse rider and a crack shot.
- A man found at the house, Ronald Lerma, 29, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a crack cocaine pipe.
- An attitude, a tattoo and a supply of crack cocaine.
- In recent weeks, drugs squad officers have seized quantities of crack cocaine in Gloucester and Stroud.
- It was undeniably dead. perhaps it had been stunned by a penalty kick from a crack centre-forward.
- Like crack cocaine for the soul, Charlie's Angels delivers shameful, addictive, and no doubt tremendously harmful fun.
- When he did, the passenger, Jerry Wilson, dropped crack cocaine to the ground.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane. We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them). A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler. The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
(=discover how to understand a code)· The Enigma machine was used to crack the enemy codes.
I was up at the crack of dawn (=very early in the morning) to get the plane.· Glass will crack if too much pressure is put on it.
· We could feel the ice cracking beneath our feet.
(=a noise with a particular kind of sound)· The water moved through the pipes with a loud gurgling noise.
We were sitting round the fire cracking nuts (=opening them). A quick way to seal awkward gaps is to use a foam filler. (=become unable to continue normally because of the strain)· They are worried that the court system might collapse under the strain.
(=one extremely loud sound)· Lightning flickered across the sky, followed seconds later by a loud crack of thunder.
(=the best, most skilled or most experienced troops)· The general's headquarters is guarded by crack troops.
(=becomes higher or unsteady because they are upset)· Her voice broke and she was unable to continue.
The coachman cracked his whip and the carriage lurched forward.· An attitude, a tattoo and a supply of crack cocaine.· He was on crack cocaine at the time.· In recent weeks, drugs squad officers have seized quantities of crack cocaine in Gloucester and Stroud.· When he did, the passenger, Jerry Wilson, dropped crack cocaine to the ground.· Arrests for sale or possession of crack cocaine jumped from 41 in 1991 to 119 last year.· A man found at the house, Ronald Lerma, 29, was arrested on suspicion of possessing a crack cocaine pipe.· Information gathered by the national criminal intelligence service reveals a growing use of crack cocaine in the Shire counties.· Like crack cocaine for the soul, Charlie's Angels delivers shameful, addictive, and no doubt tremendously harmful fun.
· Go to a crack house, Nick, and you can buy anything you want in the way of human flesh.· Dilapidated public schools-their windows covered by protective grilles coexist with crack houses.· Three of the apartments on the first floor were empty, and one was a crack house.· Sometimes it means they help organize marches in front of crack houses.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► give somebody a fair crack of the whip
1with a lot of experience and skill: - A crack shot and a notorious gambler.
- And of course the doctor is a crack shot..
- Dirk, nearly sixteen, is a crack shot.
- The book centres on young blonde Donna, a crack shot with a.45 Magnum.
- She had a hairline fracture in her leg.
- I was worried about a hairline fracture, but luckily it was just a bad lump.
- The specialist he consulted on Monday diagnosed a hairline fracture of his right wrist and wants to take another look on Friday.
- Daytime television is a tough nut to crack. New shows have to be good enough to beat the old favorites.
- Already highly successful in popular music, dance and commercial television, blacks have found the movies a tougher nut to crack.
- Beverley was a tougher nut to crack.
- West Ham will be a tough nut to crack especially with big Lee in good form at the moment.
- Conversely, if you have been papering over the cracks of a relationship these same eclipses will seek them out.
- He did his best to paper over the cracks.
- King Birendra enjoyed considerable popularity, which enabled him to paper over the cracks in his divided kingdom.
- The private finance initiative has not papered over the cracks, although it has lined plenty of pockets.
crack troops a crack regiment a crack sportsman2crack shot someone who is able to shoot a weapon very well and hit the thing they are aiming at