cracking

crack a bottle open

To open a bottle of something, usually an alcoholic drink. We cracked a bottle open to celebrate finishing of our first year of grad school.See also: bottle, crack, open

crack a joke

To say something funny; to tell a joke. The teacher scolded me for cracking a joke in the middle of class.See also: crack, joke

crack a smile

To smile. I got the baby to crack a smile by clapping and singing.See also: crack, smile

crack down

1. verb To address or control something more strictly than in the past. After years of leniency, the school is finally cracking down on plagiarism.2. noun A period of stricter control of something. When used as a noun, the phrase is usually written as one word. After years of leniency, there's finally been a crackdown on plagiarism at the school.See also: crack, down

crack open

1. To open something. A noun or pronoun can be used between "crack" and "open." It's too hot in here—can we crack open a window? We cracked open a bottle of wine to celebrate finishing our first year of grad school.2. To break open. A noun or pronoun can be used between "crack" and "open." The earthquake cracked the highway wide open.3. To expose something scandalous or deceptive. A noun or pronoun can be used between "crack" and "open." That company's stock price plummeted after the media cracked open the CEO's embezzlement scandal. An anonymous tip to the police is what cracked the theft ring wide open.See also: crack, open

crack some suds

slang To drink beer. Let's go to the bar and crack some suds.See also: crack, suds

crack the door (open)

To open a door slightly. It's so hot in here—can we at least crack the door open?See also: crack, door

crack the whip

To push or urge someone (usually one's subordinate) to work harder, likened to literally cracking a whip to control or urge on an animal. The boss is nervous that we'll lose this account, so he's really started cracking the whip on us.See also: crack, whip

crack under the strain

To submit to the stress of a particular situation; to stop functioning due to the pressure. If you keep pushing your employees so hard, they'll eventually crack under the strain.See also: crack, strain

crack up

1. verb To laugh very hard. We all cracked up at Josh's joke.2. verb To cause someone to laugh very hard. In this usage, a noun or pronoun can be used between "crack" and "up." Josh's joke cracked us all up. That comedian just cracks me up.3. verb To experience a mental or emotional breakdown. All those days of sleep deprivation finally caused me to crack up. She's terrified to leave the house all of a sudden—I think she's cracking up.4. verb To destroy something. He drove into a tree and cracked up his car.5. verb To be in an accident. I cracked up after losing control of my car.6. noun An accident. When used as a noun, the phrase is typically hyphenated. I was in a crack-up when I lost control of my car and hydroplaned.See also: crack, up

crack (something) wide open

1. To break something open. A noun or pronoun can be used between "crack" and "open." The earthquake cracked the highway wide open.2. To expose something scandalous or deceptive. A noun or pronoun can be used between "crack" and "open." That company's stock price plummeted after the media cracked the CEO's embezzlement scandal wide open. An anonymous tip to the police is what cracked the theft ring wide open.See also: crack, open, wide

get a move on

To move, proceed, or work faster; to hurry. Get a move on, kids, or we're going to be late for the movie! We've got to get a move on if we want to finish this project by the end of the week.See also: get, move, on

get cracking

To start working on something. Often used as an imperative. Get cracking, or you'll be up all night working on your book report! Let's get cracking—I don't want to spend all day cleaning out the garage.See also: cracking, get

crack wise

To make glib, facetious, and/or sardonic remarks; to make wisecracks. If you keep cracking wise in class, you're going to get in trouble.See also: crack, wise

crack a tube

To open a beer, usually in a can. I like to crack a tube or two when I get home from work.See also: crack, tube

crack open a/the bottle

To open a bottle (of alcohol) with the intention of drinking. We all cracked open a couple bottles to celebrate the end of the semester. I like to crack open a bottle or two when I get home from work.See also: bottle, crack, open

crack a bottle open

Fig. to open a bottle of liquor. Let's crack open a bottle and celebrate. He cracked a bottle open and poured a little for everyone to try.See also: bottle, crack, open

crack a joke

to tell a joke. She's never serious. She's always cracking jokes. Every time Tom cracked a joke, his buddies broke up laughing.See also: crack, joke

crack a smile

to grin; to smile. I was tellin' my best jokes, but Jim never cracked a smile. She looked surprised, and then cracked a big, beautiful smile.See also: crack, smile

crack down (on someone or something)

to put limits on someone or something; to become strict about enforcing rules about someone or something. The police cracked down on the street gangs. They cracked down once last year too.See also: crack, down

crack open

[for something brittle] to break or split open. The egg cracked open and a chick worked its way out. The side of the mountain cracked open and molten lava flowed out.See also: crack, open

crack some suds

Sl. to drink some beer. Let's go out tonight and crack some suds. The guys wanted to watch the game and crack some suds.See also: crack, suds

crack someone or something up

to damage someone or something. (See also someone up">crack someone up.) Who cracked my car up? Who cracked up my car? Who was driving? The accident cracked him up a little.See also: crack, up

crack someone up

to make someone laugh very hard; to make someone break out laughing. You and your jokes really crack me up. That comedian really knows how to crack up an audience.See also: crack, up

crack something up

to crash something; to destroy something (in an accident). The driver cracked the car up in an accident. The pilot cracked up the plane.See also: crack, up

crack something(wide) open

1. Lit. to crack or split something. An incredible eruption cracked the volcano wide open. 2. Fig. to expose and reveal some great wrongdoing. The police cracked the drug ring wide open. The newspaper story cracked the trouble at city hall wide open.See also: crack, open

crack under the strain

Fig. to have a mental or emotional collapse because of continued work or stress. He worked 80-hour weeks for a month and finally cracked under the strain.See also: crack, strain

crack up

1. to have a wreck. The plane cracked up and killed two of the passengers. Whose car cracked up on the expressway? 2. to break out in laughter. The whole audience cracked up. I knew I would crack up during the love scene. 3. Sl. to have a mental or emotional breakdown. The poor guy cracked up. It was too much for him. You would crack up, too, if you had been through all he went through. 4. an accident; a wreck. (Usually crack-up.) There was a terrible crack-up on the expressway. There were four cars in the crack-up.See also: crack, up

get cracking

Rur. to get to work. If you want to finish that quilt by Labor Day, you best get cracking. Sit down to your homework and get cracking!See also: cracking, get

crack a joke

Make a joke, say something humorous, as in You can count on Grandpa to crack a joke on every occasion. This expression uses the verb to crack in the now obsolete sense of "briskly pronounce" or "boast." [Early 1700s] See also: crack, joke

crack a smile

Smile, as in Betty was a very serious person; she rarely cracked a smile. This colloquialism transfers crack in the sense of "break" to breaking a serious facial expression into a smile. See also: crack, smile

crack down

Act more forcefully to regulate, repress, or restrain. For example, The police cracked down on speeding. [1930s] See also: crack, down

crack the whip

Behave in a domineering and demanding way toward one's subordinates. For example, He's been cracking the whip ever since he got his promotion. This expression, first recorded in 1647, alludes to drivers of horse-drawn wagons who snapped their whips hard, producing a loud cracking noise. Its figurative use dates from the late 1800s. See also: crack, whip

crack up

1. Suffer an emotional breakdown, become insane, as in He might crack up under the strain. This usage alludes to the result of cracking one's skull; from the early 1600s to crack alone was used in this way. [Slang; early 1900s] 2. Damage or wreck a vehicle or vessel. For example, I'm always afraid that I'll crack up the car. 3. Experience a crash, as in We cracked up on the freeway in the middle of the ice storm. 4. Also, crack someone up. Burst or cause to burst out laughing, as in The audience cracked up, or That joke really cracked me up. [Slang; c. 1940] Also see break up, def. 6. All of these expressions derive from crack in the sense of "break into pieces" or "collapse," a usage dating from the late 1600s. Also see cracked up. See also: crack, up

get a move on

Also, get cracking or going or rolling . Hurry up; also, start working. For example, Get a move on, it's late, or Let's get cracking, kids, or It's time we got going, or The alarm went off ten minutes ago, so get rolling. The first colloquial expression dates from the late 1800s. The second term, also colloquial, employs the verb to crack in the sense of "travel with speed," a usage dating from the early 1800s, but the idiom dates only from the first half of the 1900s. The third term dates from the late 1800s and also has other meanings; see get going. Get rolling alludes to setting wheels in motion and dates from the first half of the 1900s. Also see get busy; get on the stick. See also: get, move, on

get cracking

see under get a move on. See also: cracking, get

get cracking

INFORMALIf you get cracking, you start doing something immediately and quickly. I realised that if we got cracking, we could make the last 700 miles to St Lucia within our deadline. I promised to get cracking on the deal.See also: cracking, get

get a move on

INFORMALCOMMON If you get a move on, you hurry. You'd better get a move on if you're going to make it back in time for the match. `I wish the driver would get a move on,' she said.See also: get, move, on

crack the whip

If a person in authority cracks the whip, they make people work hard by being strict. They've recently installed a new management team to crack the whip. Donna stayed at home and cracked the whip over her three girls and son. Note: When someone makes people work hard by being strict with them, you can talk about the crack of their whip. He has, he says `a team of ten working hard under' him. You can almost hear the crack of his whip.See also: crack, whip

crack wise

make jokes. North American informalSee also: crack, wise

get cracking

act quickly and energetically. informalSee also: cracking, get

get a move on

hurry up. informal 1992 Lisa Tuttle Lost Futures So stop worrying, sweetheart, and let's get a move on…I don't want to be late. See also: get, move, on

crack a ˈjoke

tell a joke: He’s always cracking jokes in class.See also: crack, joke

crack the ˈwhip

use your authority or power to make somebody work very hard, usually by treating them in a strict way: What you need to do is crack the whip and make sure that they do the job properly.See also: crack, whip

get ˈcracking

(informal) start doing something quickly: We’ll have to get cracking with the painting if we want to be finished by Friday. ♢ There’s an awful lot to do, so let’s get cracking.See also: cracking, get

get a ˈmove on

(spoken) hurry; do something faster: You’d better get a move on or you’ll be late. OPPOSITE: take your time (doing something/to do something/over something) (1)See also: get, move, on

crack down

v.1. To increase the intensity or severity involved in preventing or regulating something: The police are cracking down on drunk driving and issuing stiffer penalties. The police cracked down after the murder last week.2. To increase the intensity or severity involved in punishing or repressing someone: The government has cracked down on protesters.See also: crack, down

crack up

v.1. To damage something or someone, as in an accident: I cracked up the car when I hit a tree. We gave him a remote control plane for his birthday, but he cracked it up on his very first flight.2. To become damaged or wrecked: The plane cracked up when it hit the ground.3. To praise someone or something highly, especially incorrectly. Often used in the passive: I am simply not the genius I'm cracked up to be. His friend cracked him up to be a great mechanic, but I thought his work was shoddy.4. To have a mental or physical breakdown: We were afraid that the pilot might crack up under the stress.5. To laugh very hard: She cracked up when I told her the joke.6. To cause someone to laugh very hard: The funny movie cracked us up. The comedian cracked up the audience.See also: crack, up

crack a tube

tv. to open a can of beer. (see also tube.) Why don’t you drop over this evening, and we’ll crack a few tubes? See also: crack, tube

crack some suds

tv. to drink some beer. Let’s go out tonight and crack some suds. See also: crack, suds

crack up

1. in. to have a wreck. The plane cracked up and killed two of the passengers. 2. in. to break out in laughter. I knew I would crack up during the love scene. 3. in. to have a nervous breakdown. The poor guy cracked up. It was too much for him. 4. n. an accident; a wreck. (Usually crack-up.) There was a terrible crack-up on the expressway. See also: crack, up

Get cracking!

imperative Get moving!; Get started!; Hurry up! Hurry up! Get cracking! See also: get

crack the whip

To behave in a domineering manner; demand hard work and efficiency from those under one's control.See also: crack, whip

get cracking/rolling

Begin, get busy, hurry up. The first of these colloquialisms originated in Great Britain in the 1930s and appears to have crossed the Atlantic during World War II. It uses crack in the sense of “move fast,” a usage dating from the late nineteenth century, and is often put as an imperative, as in “Now get cracking before it starts to rain.” The synonymous get rolling, dating from the first half of the 1900s, alludes to setting wheels in motion. It, too, may be used as an imperative, but is more often heard in such locutions as “Jake said it’s time to get rolling on the contracts.”See also: cracking, get, roll

cracking

Chemistry the process in which molecules are cracked, esp the oil-refining process in which heavy oils are broken down into hydrocarbons of lower molecular weight by heat or catalysis

Cracking

the treatment, involving the decomposition of heavy hydrocarbons, of petroleum and its fractions to obtain motor fuels and chemical raw materials. In addition to decomposition, cracking involves isomerization and the formation of new molecules (for example, as a result of cyclization, polymerization, and condensation).

Cracking is one of the principal methods of obtaining motor fuels (especially of gasolines). It may be carried out as a purely thermal process (known as thermal cracking) or in the presence of catalysts (catalytic cracking). The cleavage reactions involved in thermal cracking are usually considered to be free-radical chain reactions. The products of thermal cracking, which is usually carried out at 470°-540°C and at pressures of 4–6 meganewtons (MN) per sq m (40–60 atmospheres), contain many unstable unsaturated hydrocarbons. Gasolines from these products are not responsive to tetraethyl lead and require further treatment by reforming. Thermal cracking is used for the lowgrade varieties of residual heavy crude.

Low-pressure thermal cracking, carried out at 500°-600°C and at pressures of a few tenths of a MN per sq m (several atmospheres), is also called coking. It is used to convert heavy products, such as tars, into lighter products that can be treated further to produce motor fuels (yield, 60–70 percent). As much as 20 percent coke is also obtained in the process. Coke has a variety of uses, such as in the preparation of electrodes for arc furnaces and galvanic cells.

High-temperature (650°-750°C), low-pressure (near atmospheric) cracking is known as pyrolysis. It is used to convert residual heavy crude to gas containing as much as 50 percent unsaturated hydrocarbons (for example, ethylene and propylene) and aromatic compounds. The products obtained serve mainly as chemical raw materials. Thermal cracking is usually carried out in tube furnaces or in reactors with a heavy circulating heat-transfer agent (the coke formed may serve this purpose).

The main product of catalytic cracking, which is carried out in the presence of artificial or natural aluminosilicates (activated clays, such as montmorillonite), is a high-quality motor gasoline (octane rating, to 85) used for automotive transport and aviation. In addition, kerosine-gas-oil fractions are obtained that are suitable as diesel or jet fuel. The process is carried out at 450°–520°C under pressures of 0.2–.03 MN per sq m (2–3 atmospheres) in reaction towers with an immobile or continuously circulating catalyst. In both cases, the catalyst requires regeneration, since carbonaceous deposits (coke) form on the catalyst and deactivate it. The coke is removed by roasting.

Decomposition proceeds much more rapidly in catalytic cracking than in thermal cracking. Furthermore, isomerization (with the formation of saturated hydrocarbons) takes place in catalytic cracking, yielding more light products than the thermal method. The gasoline obtained in catalytic cracking contains many isoparaffins and few unsaturated hydrocarbons (accounting for its high quality). The raw material for catalytic cracking is usually gas oil, which yields 30–40 percent gasoline (isoparaffm content, to 50 percent), 45–55 percent catalytic gas oil, 10–20 percent gas (including a 6–9 percent butane-butylene fraction, a chemical raw material), and 3–6 percent coke.

Catalytic cracking in the presence of hydrogen, known as hydrocracking, is used widely to treat medium and heavy petroleum distillates with high sulfur and tar components (which are unsuitable for purely catalytic treatment). Hydrocracking is carried out at 350°-450°C under hydrogen pressures of 3–14 MN per sq m (30–140 atmospheres). Between 170 and 350 cu m of hydrogen are consumed per cu m of raw material. Among the catalysts used are molybdenum and nickel oxides and sulfides and cobalt molybdate on cracking carriers (for example, aluminosilicates). The use of hydrogen ensures effective hydrogenation of the macromolecular and sulfur compounds on the catalyst and subsequent decomposition on the cracking component. As a result, the yield of light-colored products is increased as much as 70 percent (relative to the crude oil), and the content of sulfur and unsaturated hydrocarbons in the products is decreased sharply. The motor fuels obtained, such as gasoline and jet and diesel fuels, are of high quality.

Steam cracking has been very useful in the production of unsaturated hydrocarbons as chemical raw materials. Various types of crude oils, from refining gases to the residues of crude-oil distillation, serve as starting materials. The process is carried out at 650°-800°C in the presence of catalysts (for example, nickel oxide) on refractory. The advantages of this method include the low level of coke formation and the high olefin yield.

There are other types of cracking known that find some application in industry. One of these is oxidative cracking (cracking in the presence of oxygen). Electrocracking is used in the production of acetylene (methane being passed through an electric arc).

REFERENCE

Smidovich, E. V. Destruktivnaia pererabotka nefti i gaza, 2nd ed. Moscow, 1968. (Tekhnologiia pererabotki nefti i gaza, part 2).

V. V. SHCHEKIN

cracking

[′krak·iŋ] (chemical engineering) A process that is used to reduce the molecular weight of hydrocarbons by breaking the molecular bonds by various thermal, catalytic, or hydrocracking methods. (engineering) Presence of relatively large cracks extending into the interior of a structure, usually produced by overstressing the structural material.

crazing, cracking, craze cracks

Fine, random cracks or fissures in a network on or under a surface of plaster, cement, mortar, concrete, ceramic coating, or paint film; caused by shrinkage.

cracking

cracker

cracking

crack·ing

cracking

crack•ing

cracking

cracking

crack a bottle open

crack a joke

crack a smile

crack down

crack open

crack some suds

crack the door (open)

crack the whip

crack under the strain

crack up

crack (something) wide open

get a move on

get cracking

crack wise

crack a tube

crack open a/the bottle

crack a bottle open

crack a joke

crack a smile

crack down (on someone or something)

crack open

crack some suds

crack someone or something up

crack someone up

crack something up

crack something(wide) open

crack under the strain

crack up

get cracking

crack a joke

crack a smile

crack down

crack the whip

crack up

get a move on

get cracking

get cracking

get a move on

crack the whip

crack wise

get cracking

get a move on

crack a ˈjoke

crack the ˈwhip

get ˈcracking

get a ˈmove on

crack down

crack up

crack a tube

crack some suds

crack up

Get cracking!

crack the whip

get cracking/rolling

cracking

cracking

Cracking

REFERENCE

cracking

crazing, cracking, craze cracks

cracking

cracking

Synonyms for cracking

noun a sudden sharp noise

Synonyms

Related Words

noun the act of cracking something

Synonyms

Related Words

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

Related Words

adj very good

Synonyms

Related Words