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   crack

   /krak/

   noun

   • 1. a line on the surface of something along which it has split without breaking apart: "a hairline crack down the middle of the glass" Similar splitfissurecrevicebreakfracturerupturebreachriftcleftslitchinkgapcrannyintersticerare:crazing
   • ▪ a narrow space between two surfaces which have broken or been moved apart: "he climbed into a crack between two rocks" Similar splitfissurecrevicebreakfracturerupturebreachriftcleftslitchinkgapcrannyintersticerare:crazing
   • ▪ a vulnerable point; a flaw: "the company spotted a crack in their rival's defences"
   • ▪ the cleft between the buttocks: informal "her hair came down to her bum crack"
   • 2. a sudden sharp or explosive noise: "a loud crack of thunder" Similar bangreportexplosiondetonationclappopsnapcrackleknocktapclashcrashsmashsmackinformal:whamwhump
   • ▪ a sharp audible blow: "she gave the thief a crack over the head with her rolling pin" Similar blowbanghitpunchknockthumprapbumpthwacksmackslapweltcuffboxinformal:bashwhackclobbercloutclipwallopbelttanbiffbopsocklamwhompsloshboffbustslugwhaledongdated:buffet
   • ▪ a sudden harshness or change in pitch in a person's voice: "the boy's voice had an uncertain crack in it"
   • 3. a joke, typically a critical or unkind one: informal "he knew about the gossip and would make the odd crack" Similar jokewitticismfunny remarkwitty remarkjestquippunsallypleasantryepigramaphorismreparteebanterbon motjibebarbjeersneertauntinsultcutting remarkslightaffrontslurinsinuationinformal:one-linergagwisecrackfunnydig
   • 4. enjoyable social activity; a good time: Irish "he loved the crack, the laughing"
   • ▪ a conversation: Scottish, Northern English "they are having a great crack about shooting"
   • 5. an attempt to achieve something: informal "I fancy having a crack at winning a fourth title" Similar attempttryeffortendeavourventureinformal:goshotstabwhackwhirlformal:essayarchaic:assay
   • ▪ a chance to attack or compete with someone: "he wanted to have a crack at the enemy"
   • 6. a potent hard crystalline form of cocaine broken into small pieces and inhaled or smoked: "he uses crack and cocaine"

   verb

   • 1. break or cause to break without a complete separation of the parts: "the ice all over the bog had cracked" Similar splitfracturefissurerupturebreaksnapcleaverare:craze
   • ▪ break or cause to break open or apart: "a chunk of the cliff had cracked off in a storm"
   • ▪ break (wheat or corn) into coarse pieces.
   • ▪ give way or cause to give way under torture, pressure, or strain: "the witnesses cracked and the truth came out" Similar break downgive waycave incrumblecollapsego to pieceslose controlyieldsuccumbfounderinformal:fall/come apart at the seams
   • 2. make or cause to make a sudden sharp or explosive sound: "a shot cracked across the ridge" Similar go bangbangpopsnapcracklecrashthudthumpboomring outclapexplodedetonate
   • ▪ knock hard against something: "she winced as her knees cracked against metal"
   • ▪ hit (someone or something) hard: "she cracked him across the forehead" Similar hitstrikebeatthumphammerknockrappoundthudpunchbumpthwacksmackslapslamweltcuffpummelbuffetbox someone's earsinformal:bashwhackclobbercloutclipwallopbelttanbiffbopsocklamwhompsloshboffbustslugwhaledong
   • ▪ (of a person's voice) suddenly change in pitch, especially through strain: "‘I want to get away,’ she said, her voice cracking"
   • 3. find a solution to; decipher or interpret: informal "the code will help you crack the messages" Similar solvefind an/the answer tofind a/the solution toresolvework outpuzzle outfathomfind the key todecipherdecodebreakclear upinterprettranslatestraighten outget to the bottom ofmake head or tail ofunraveldisentangleuntangleunfoldpiece togetherelucidateinformal:figure outsuss out
   • ▪ break into (a safe).
   • 4. tell (a joke): "he cracked jokes which she didn't find very funny"
   • 5. decompose (hydrocarbons) by heat and pressure with or without a catalyst to produce lighter hydrocarbons, especially in oil refining: "catalytic cracking increases gasoline yields"

   adjective

   • 1. very good or skilful: "he is a crack shot"

   Word Origin Old Englishcracian ‘make an explosive noise’; of Germanic origin; related to Dutch kraken and German krachen. crack (sense 4 of the noun) is from Irish craic ‘entertaining conversation’.

   Scrabble Points: 13

   • C

     3

   • R

     1

   • A

     1

   • C

     3

   • K

     5

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