crack

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See also: Crack

English

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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    From Middle English crakken, craken, from Old English cracian (“to resound, crack”), from Proto-West Germanic *krakōn, from Proto-Germanic *krakōną (“to crack, crackle, shriek”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gerh₂- (“to resound, cry hoarsely”).

    Cognate with Scots crak (“to crack”), West Frisian kreakje (“to crack”), Dutch kraken (“to crunch, creak, squeak”), Low German kraken (“to crack”), German krachen (“to crash, crack, creak”), Lithuanian gìrgžděti (“to creak, squeak”), Old Armenian կարկաչ (karkačʻ), Sanskrit गर्जति (gárjati, “to roar, hum”).

    Verb

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    crack (third-person singular simple present cracks, present participle cracking, simple past and past participle cracked)

    2. (intransitive) To form cracks.
      It's been so dry, the ground is starting to crack.
    3. (intransitive) To break apart under force, stress, or pressure.
      When I tried to stand on the chair, it cracked.
    4. (intransitive) To become debilitated by psychological pressure.
      Anyone would crack after being hounded like that.
    5. (intransitive) To break down or yield, especially under interrogation or torture.
      When we showed him the pictures of the murder scene, he cracked.
    6. (intransitive) To make a cracking sound.
      The bat cracked with authority and the ball went for six.
    7. (intransitive, of a voice) To change rapidly in register.
      His voice cracked with emotion.
    8. (intransitive, of a pubescent boy's voice) To alternate between high and low register in the process of eventually lowering.
      His voice finally cracked when he was fourteen.
    9. (intransitive) To make a sharply humorous comment.
      "I would too, with a face like that," she cracked.
    10. (intransitive, LGBTQ, slang) To realize that one is transgender.
      She cracked at age 22 and came out to her friends and family over the next few months.
    11. (transitive) To make a crack or cracks in.
      The ball cracked the window.
    12. (transitive) To break open or crush to small pieces by impact or stress.
      You'll need a hammer to crack a black walnut.
    13. (transitive) To strike forcefully.
      She cracked him over the head with her handbag.
      • 1914 June 10, “Pillow Fight In Australian Parliament”, in Independence Daily Reporter:
        Bedding provided for late session became ammunition—meet ended in riot when Labor man cracked leader on jaw.
    14. (transitive) To open slightly.
      Could you please crack the window?
    15. (transitive, figurative) To cause to yield under interrogation or other pressure.
      They managed to crack him on the third day.
    16. (transitive, figurative) To solve a difficult problem.
      I've finally cracked it, and of course the answer is obvious in hindsight.
      • 2021 November 17, Conrad Landin, “Network News: Vivarail goes forth with fast-charging batteries”, in RAIL, number 944, page 13:
        "[...] The key to battery trains is more the ability to charge quickly. If you can do that, you've cracked it."
    17. (transitive) To overcome a security system or component.
      It took a minute to crack the lock, three minutes to crack the security system, and about twenty minutes to crack the safe.
      They finally cracked the code.
    18. (transitive) To cause to make a sharp sound.
      to crack a whip
      • 2001, Doug McGuinn, The Apple Indians:
        Hershell cracked his knuckles, a nervous habit that drove Inez crazy […]
    19. (transitive) To tell (a joke).
      The performance was fine until he cracked that dead baby joke.
    20. (transitive) (chemistry) To break down (a complex molecule), especially with the application of heat: to pyrolyse.
      Acetone is cracked to ketene and methane at 700°C.
    21. (transitive, computing) To circumvent software restrictions such as regional coding or time limits.
      That software licence will expire tomorrow unless we can crack it.
      • 1997 April 1, David McCandless, “Warez Wars”, in Wired‎[1], →ISSN:
        Nobody really knows how much actual damage cracking does to the software companies. But as the industry rolls apprehensively toward the uncertain future of an ever-more frictionless electronic marketplace, almost everyone thinks piracy will increase.
    22. (transitive, informal) To open a canned beverage, or any packaged drink or food.
      I'd love to crack open a beer.
      Let's crack a tube and watch the game.
      • 1894, The Strand, volume 8, page 569:
        Old Bouvet was waiting in the passage when I entered, and he asked me whether we might not crack a bottle of wine together.
    23. (obsolete) To brag; to boast.
      • 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book V, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], part II (books IV–VI), London: […] [Richard Field] for William Ponsonby, →OCLC, stanza 16, page 216:
        To whom the boaſter, that all knights did blot, / With proud diſdaine did ſcornefull anſwere make; […] And further did vncomely ſpeaches crake.
      • c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “Loues Labour’s Lost”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iii], page 134, column 2, line 268:
        And Æthiopes of their ſweet complexion crack.
      • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Cauſes of Melancholy. Vaine-glory, Pride, Ioy, Praiſe, &c.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 3, subsection 14, page 126:
        Stultitiam ſuam produnt &c. (ſaith Platerus) your very tradeſmen, if they be excellent, will crack and bragge, and ſhew their folly in exceſſe.
      • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Cure of Melancholy. Simple alternatives. Compound Alternatiues, Cenſure of Compounds and mixt Phyſick.”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition II, section 4, member 1, subsection v:
        Cardan cracks that he can cure all diſeaſes with water alone, as Hippocrates of old did moſt infirmities with one medicine.
    24. (archaic, colloquial) To be ruined or impaired; to fail.
      • 1697, Virgil, “Dedications”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC:
        The credit […] of exchequers cracks, when little comes in and much goes out.
    25. (colloquial) To barely reach or attain (a measurement or extent).
      An underground band that never cracked the Hot 100
      • 2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 102:
        IQ (Intelligence Quotient), number said to measure an individual's intelligence that many experts who clearly didn't crack 125 say overlooks important attributes such as creativity and social skills.
    Derived terms
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    • crazed (exhibiting fine-line cracks)
    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked
    See also
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    Noun

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    crack (countable and uncountable, plural cracks)

    2. A thin and usually jagged space opened in a previously solid material.
      Synonyms: crevice, fissure
      A large crack had formed in the roadway.
    3. A narrow opening.
      We managed to squeeze through a crack in the rock wall.
      Open the door a crack.
      • 2011 January 25, Phil McNulty, “Blackpool 2 - 3 Man Utd”, in BBC‎[2]:
        Dimitar Berbatov found the first cracks in the home side's resilience when he pulled one back from close range and Hernandez himself drew the visitors level with a composed finish three minutes later as Bloomfield Road's earlier jubilation turned to despair.
    4. A sharply humorous comment; a wisecrack.
      I didn't appreciate that crack about my hairstyle.
    6. (slang) Crack cocaine, a potent, relatively cheap, addictive variety of cocaine; often a rock, usually smoked through a crack-pipe.
      Synonyms: crack rock, hard
      crack head
      • 1995, “Dear Mama”, in Me Against the World, performed by 2Pac:
        And even as a crack fiend, Mama / You always was a black queen, Mama
      • 2006, Noire [pseudonym], Thug-A-Licious: An Urban Erotic Tale, New York, N.Y.: One World, Ballantine Books, →ISBN, page 122:
        There were times when she could tell the Washingtons were overwhelmed by Jahlil's difficult ways, and one time Jessie even had the nerve to ask Carmiesha if she had smoked anything like crack or ice while she was pregnant with him.
      1. (figurative, humorous) Something good-tasting or habit-forming.
        kitty crack ― catnip
        • [2012 March 23, Rob Patronite, Robin Raisfeld, “Your Brain on Food”, in New York Magazine:
          When did naming foods after a powerful narcotic become a thing? […] Now the mean streets of New York are rife with “salted crack caramel” ice cream, “pistachio crack” brittle, “crack steak” sandwiches, and “tuna on crack.”]
    7. (onomatopoeia) The sharp sound made when solid material breaks.
      Synonyms: pop, snap; see also Thesaurus:snap, Thesaurus:bang
      The crack of the falling branch could be heard for miles.
    8. (onomatopoeia) Any sharp sound.
      The crack of the bat hitting the ball.
      • 2011 June 28, Piers Newbery, “Wimbledon 2011: Sabine Lisicki beats Marion Bartoli”, in BBC Sport‎[3]:
        She broke to love in the opening game, only for Bartoli to hit straight back in game two, which was interrupted by a huge crack of thunder that made Lisicki jump and prompted nervous laughter from the 15,000 spectators.
    9. A sharp, resounding blow.
      • 1852 March – 1853 September, Charles Dickens, chapter 11, in Bleak House, London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1853, →OCLC:
        Mrs. Perkins, who has not been for some weeks on speaking terms with Mrs. Piper in consequence for an unpleasantness originating in young Perkins' having "fetched" young Piper "a crack," renews her friendly intercourse on this auspicious occasion.
    10. (informal) An attempt at something.
      I'd like to take a crack at that game.
    11. (vulgar, slang) The vagina.
      Synonyms: crevice, gash; see also Thesaurus:vagina
    12. (informal) The space between the buttocks.
      Synonyms: (UK) arse crack, (US) ass crack, (US) buttcrack, (UK) bum crack; see also Thesaurus:gluteal cleft
      Pull up your pants! Your crack is showing.
    14. (Northern England, Scotland, Ireland) Conviviality; fun; good conversation, chat, gossip, or humorous storytelling; good company.
      Synonyms: bonhomie, craic, jollity, joviality, laugh, warmth
      The party was great crack.
      He's good crack. [It's nice having him around]
      • 2001, William F. Gray, The Villain, iUniverse, page 214:
        Being a native of Northumberland, she was enjoying their banter and Geordie good humour. This was what she needed — good company and good crack.
      • 2004, Bill Griffiths, Dictionary of North East Dialect, Northumbria University Press (quoting Dunn, 1950)
        "his a bit o' good crack — interesting to talk to"
      • 2006, Patrick McCabe, Winterwood, Bloomsbury, published 2007, page 10:
        By the time we've got a good drunk on us there'll be more crack in this valley than the night I pissed on the electric fence!
    15. (Northern England, Scotland, Ireland) Business; events; news.
      What's the crack?
      What's this crack about a possible merger?
    16. (computing) A program or procedure designed to circumvent restrictions or usage limits on software.
      Has anyone got a crack for DocumentWriter 3.0?
    17. (hydrodynamics, US, dated) An expanding circle of white water surrounding the site of a large explosion at shallow depth, marking the progress of the shock wave through the air above the water.
      A nuclear explosion in shallow water; the crack is clearly visible on the water's surface.
      Coordinate term: slick
    18. (Cumbria, elsewhere throughout the North of the UK) a meaningful chat.
    19. (Internet slang) Extremely silly, absurd or off-the-wall ideas or prose.
    20. The tone of voice when changed at puberty.
    22. (archaic) A mental flaw; a touch of craziness; partial insanity.
      He has a crack.
    23. (archaic) A crazy or crack-brained person.
      Synonym: crackpot
      • 1711 December 29 (Gregorian calendar), [Joseph Addison; Richard Steele et al.], “TUESDAY, December 18, 1711”, in The Spectator, number 251; republished in Alexander Chalmers, editor, The Spectator; a New Edition, […], volume III, New York, N.Y.: D[aniel] Appleton & Company, 1853, →OCLC, pages 251-256:
        On the London Cries […] I have lately received a letter from some very odd fellow upon this subject […] ‘Sir, […] , but I cannot get the parliament to listen to me ; who look upon me, forsooth, as a crack and a projector […] I am, SIR, &c. / RALPH CROTCHET’
        The spelling has been modernized.
    24. (obsolete) A boast; boasting.
      Synonyms: brag, vaunt
    25. (obsolete) Breach of chastity.
    26. (obsolete) A boy, generally a pert, lively boy.
      Synonym: pistol
    27. (slang, dated, UK) A brief time; an instant; a jiffy.
      Synonyms: flash, moment, twink; see also Thesaurus:moment
      I'll be with you in a crack.
    28. (African-American Vernacular, dated) The act of hitting on someone.
      • 1987 February 1, Joseph Beam, “Creating Myself from Scratch: Living as a Black Gay Man in the 1980s”, in Gay Community News, volume 14, number 28, page 5:
        The eyes of my sisters who fear my crack*
        [footnote] Before the popularization of the term "crack" as a drug, its common usage in the Black community referred to men publicly cruising and approaching women.
    Usage notes
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    • (Scots language, common in lowland Scotland and Ulster, conviviality): In recent decades, the word has been adopted into Gaelic as craic.
    Derived terms
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    Translations
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    The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
    Translations to be checked

    Etymology 2

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      Slang first attested 1793, perhaps from the verb in the sense of doing something quickly or with intelligence, or in the sense of "speaking boastingly" and having something to be proud of.[1]

      Adjective

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      crack (not comparable)

      1. Highly trained and competent.
        Even a crack team of investigators would have trouble solving this case.
      2. Excellent, first-rate, superior, top-notch.
        She's a crack shot with that rifle.
        • 1849 May – 1850 November, Charles Dickens, chapter 38, in The Personal History of David Copperfield, London: Bradbury & Evans, […], published 1850, →OCLC:
          Every scratch in the scheme was a gnarled oak in the forest of difficulty, and I went on cutting them down, one after another, with such vigour, that in three or four months I was in a condition to make an experiment on one of our crack speakers in the Commons.
        • 1962 April, J. N. Faulkner, “Summer Saturday at Waterloo”, in Modern Railways, page 264:
          Fortunately, it is unusual for the crack transatlantic liners to sail or dock on a Saturday, but it is the custom for most holiday cruises to start on that day, returning on Fridays a fortnight or three weeks later.
      Derived terms
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      Noun

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      crack (plural cracks)

      2. (obsolete) One who excels; the best.
        • 1888 [1637], James Shirley, Hyde Park, act IV, scene iii, page 236:
          1st Gent. What dost think, Jockey? / 2nd Gent. The crack o' the field's against you.
      Descendants
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      • → Catalan: crac
      • → French: crack
      • → German: Crack
      • → Portuguese: craque
      • → Spanish: crack
      Translations
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      References

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      1. ^ Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “crack”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

      Further reading

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      Finnish

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      Etymology

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      From English crack.

      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      crack

      1. crack (variety of cocaine)

      Declension

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      Inflection of crack (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
      nominative crack crackit
      genitive crackin crackien
      partitive crackiä crackejä
      illative crackiin crackeihin
      singular plural
      nominative crack crackit
      accusative nom. crack crackit
      gen. crackin
      genitive crackin crackien
      partitive crackiä crackejä
      inessive crackissä crackeissä
      elative crackistä crackeistä
      illative crackiin crackeihin
      adessive crackillä crackeillä
      ablative crackiltä crackeiltä
      allative crackille crackeille
      essive crackinä crackeinä
      translative crackiksi crackeiksi
      abessive crackittä crackeittä
      instructive — crackein
      comitative See the possessive forms below.
      Possessive forms of crack (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
      first-person singular possessor
      singular plural
      nominative crackini crackini
      accusative nom. crackini crackini
      gen. crackini
      genitive crackini crackieni
      partitive crackiäni crackejäni
      inessive crackissäni crackeissäni
      elative crackistäni crackeistäni
      illative crackiini crackeihini
      adessive crackilläni crackeilläni
      ablative crackiltäni crackeiltäni
      allative crackilleni crackeilleni
      essive crackinäni crackeinäni
      translative crackikseni crackeikseni
      abessive crackittäni crackeittäni
      instructive — —
      comitative — crackeineni
      second-person singular possessor
      singular plural
      nominative crackisi crackisi
      accusative nom. crackisi crackisi
      gen. crackisi
      genitive crackisi crackiesi
      partitive crackiäsi crackejäsi
      inessive crackissäsi crackeissäsi
      elative crackistäsi crackeistäsi
      illative crackiisi crackeihisi
      adessive crackilläsi crackeilläsi
      ablative crackiltäsi crackeiltäsi
      allative crackillesi crackeillesi
      essive crackinäsi crackeinäsi
      translative crackiksesi crackeiksesi
      abessive crackittäsi crackeittäsi
      instructive — —
      comitative — crackeinesi
      first-person plural possessor
      singular plural
      nominative crackimme crackimme
      accusative nom. crackimme crackimme
      gen. crackimme
      genitive crackimme crackiemme
      partitive crackiämme crackejämme
      inessive crackissämme crackeissämme
      elative crackistämme crackeistämme
      illative crackiimme crackeihimme
      adessive crackillämme crackeillämme
      ablative crackiltämme crackeiltämme
      allative crackillemme crackeillemme
      essive crackinämme crackeinämme
      translative crackiksemme crackeiksemme
      abessive crackittämme crackeittämme
      instructive — —
      comitative — crackeinemme
      second-person plural possessor
      singular plural
      nominative crackinne crackinne
      accusative nom. crackinne crackinne
      gen. crackinne
      genitive crackinne crackienne
      partitive crackiänne crackejänne
      inessive crackissänne crackeissänne
      elative crackistänne crackeistänne
      illative crackiinne crackeihinne
      adessive crackillänne crackeillänne
      ablative crackiltänne crackeiltänne
      allative crackillenne crackeillenne
      essive crackinänne crackeinänne
      translative crackiksenne crackeiksenne
      abessive crackittänne crackeittänne
      instructive — —
      comitative — crackeinenne
      third-person possessor
      singular plural
      nominative crackinsä crackinsä
      accusative nom. crackinsä crackinsä
      gen. crackinsä
      genitive crackinsä crackiensä
      partitive crackiään
      crackiänsä       		crackejään
      crackejänsä
      inessive crackissään
      crackissänsä       		crackeissään
      crackeissänsä
      elative crackistään
      crackistänsä       		crackeistään
      crackeistänsä
      illative crackiinsä crackeihinsä
      adessive crackillään
      crackillänsä       		crackeillään
      crackeillänsä
      ablative crackiltään
      crackiltänsä       		crackeiltään
      crackeiltänsä
      allative crackilleen
      crackillensä       		crackeilleen
      crackeillensä
      essive crackinään
      crackinänsä       		crackeinään
      crackeinänsä
      translative crackikseen
      crackiksensä       		crackeikseen
      crackeiksensä
      abessive crackittään
      crackittänsä       		crackeittään
      crackeittänsä
      instructive — —
      comitative — crackeineen
      crackeinensä

      Further reading

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      French

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      Etymology

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      Borrowed from English crack.

      Pronunciation

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      Noun

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      crack m (plural cracks)

      1. (colloquial) champion, ace, expert
        Synonyms: champion, as
        C’est un crack en informatique. ― He/she is a computer whiz.
      2. (computing) crack (program or procedure designed to circumvent restrictions)

      Noun

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      crack f (uncountable)

      1. crack cocaine

      Further reading

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      Portuguese

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      Etymology

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      Unadapted borrowing from English crack.

      Pronunciation

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      • (Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈkɾak/, /ˈkɾa.ki/
        • (Southern Brazil) IPA(key): /ˈkɾak/, /ˈkɾa.ke/

      Noun

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      crack m (plural cracks)

      1. Alternative form of craque

      Derived terms

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      Further reading

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      Spanish

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      Pronunciation

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      Etymology 1

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      Unadapted borrowing from English crack.

      Noun

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      crack m (plural cracks)

      1. crack cocaine
      2. champion, ace, pro, wizard, dude (outstanding person)
      Usage notes
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      According to Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) prescriptions, unadapted foreign words should be written in italics in a text printed in roman type, and vice versa, and in quotation marks in a manuscript text or when italics are not available. In practice, this RAE prescription is not always followed.

      Etymology 2

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      Borrowed from French krach, from German Krach.

      Noun

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      crack m (plural cracks)

      1. Misspelling of crac.

      Further reading

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      Swedish

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      Swedish Wikipedia has an article on:
      Wikipedia sv

      Etymology

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      Borrowed from English crack.

      Noun

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      crack n or c

      1. (uncountable, colloquial) crack cocaine

      Declension

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      Declension of crack
      nominative genitive
      singular indefinite crack cracks
      definite cracket crackets
      plural indefinite — —
      definite — —
      Declension of crack
      nominative genitive
      singular indefinite crack cracks
      definite cracken crackens
      plural indefinite — —
      definite — —
      Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=crack&oldid=82554021"