Forms: 4–6 crak, 4 krakke, 5 krak, 6 crakke, crake, 6–7 cracke, 6– crack. [Goes with CRACK v. The sb. is not known in OE., but corresponding forms occur early in the cognate langs.: OHG. chrac, dial.G. krack, Du. krak, and OHG. *chrah, MHG. and G. krach, MDu. crak (dat. crāke), mod.Du. kraak, E.Fris. krak and krâk. Cf. also F. crac (in Cotgr. 1611), similarly related to craquer.] orig. An imitation of the sharp sound caused by the sudden breaking of anything hard; whence, I. any sharp dry sound, II. a break or breaking of various kinds, with III. sundry transferred applications.
I. Of sound. * inarticulate.
1. A sudden sharp and loud noise as of something breaking or bursting; e.g., the crack of a rifle, a whip, of breaking ice, bones, etc. Formerly applied also to the roar of a cannon, of a trumpet, and of thunder; the last is still common dial., and in the archaic phrase the ‘crack of doom,’ i.e., the thunder-peal of the day of judgment, or perh. the blast of the archangel’s trump.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 18953 (Gött.). All carpand of þat grisli crack.
c. 1325. E. E. Allit. P., B. 1210. Cler claryoun crak cryed on-lofte.
1460. Lybeaus Disc., 962. Gyffrounys legge to-brak, That men herde the krak.
c. 1489. Caxton, Blanchardyn, liv. 218. Huge and horible crakes of thuunder.
1549. Compl. Scot., vi. 60. The euyl that the thondir dois … is dune or ve heir the crak of it.
1557. Tottel’s Misc. (Arb.), 127. Cannons with their thundryng cracks.
1605. Shaks., Macb., IV. i. 117. What will the Line stretch out to th’ cracke of Doome?
1626. Bacon, Sylva, § 210. In Thunder, which is far off … the Lightning precedeth the crack, a good space.
1718. Gay, Lett. to Mr. F., 9 Aug. There was heard so loud a crack, as if heaven had split asunder.
1803. Med. Jrnl., IX. 203. I made the necessary extension until the joint gave a crack.
1832. Ht. Martineau, Life in Wilds, viii. 100. The crack of his whip.
1867. Parkman, Jesuits N. Amer., xvi. (1875), 219. The deadly crack of the rifle.
b. A cannon-shot (obs.); a rifle-shot (colloq.).
Gynis [engines] for crakkis, crakkis of wer: cannon.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XVII. 250. Bot gynis for crakkis had he nane. Ibid., XIX. 399. Twa novelreis that day thai saw … The tothir crakkis war of wer, That thai befor herd neuir eir.
1605. Shaks., Macb., I. ii. 37. As Cannons ouer-charg’d with double Cracks.
1849. W. S. Mayo, Kaloolah, 54. I thought I’d take a crack at him.
1855. Smedley, H. Coverdale, i. 3. I mean to carry you off … for a crack at the rabbits.
c. A sharp, heavy, sounding blow. (colloq.)
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xxii. I’ll do your business myself with a crack on the head.
1855. Smedley, H. Coverdale, ii. (Rtldg.), 11. You hit him an awful crack!
1882. J. Sturgis, Dick’s Wandering, III. IV. xlvi. 156. To … hit him a crack over the sleek head.
2. The time occupied by a crack or shot; a moment, instant. In a crack: in a moment, immediately (cf. in a twinkle). colloq.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., I. i. I trow, when that she saw, within a crack, She came with a right thieveless errand back.
1764. Foote, Mayor of G., I. Wks. 1799, I. 161. They … will be here in a crack.
1834. A. W. Fonblanque, Eng. under 7 Admin. (1837), III. 162. He was a Reformer in the crack of a whip.
1883. Stevenson, Treasure Isl., IV. xxi. 170. He was on his feet again in a crack.
3. The breaking of wind, ventris crepitus. Obs. exc. dial.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 409. A crak of þe neþer ende.
c. 1425. Wyntoun, Cron., VIII. xxvi. 47. Lattand a crak, þat men mycht here.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., I. 464. That he should … let a cracke downeward.
1611. Cotgr., s.v. Soubchantre.
** vocal.
4. Loud talk, boast, brag; hence, sometimes, exaggeration, lie. arch. or dial. (In this sense there was a tendency in 16th c. to use crake as a distinctive form. Cf. CRACK v. 6.)
c. 1450. Harding, Map of Scotl. (National MSS. Scotl. II. lxx.). Wher Pluto … regneth in wo In his palais of pride with boste and crak [rhyme lak].
1523. St. Papers Hen. VIII., VI. 122. Notwythstondynge the Frenchemennys crakes.
1550. J. Coke, Eng. & Fr. Heralds, iii. (1877), 92. Crackes, lyes, vauntes, bostes and fables.
1590. Spenser, F. Q., II. xi. 10. Leasinges, backbytinges and vain-glorious crakes.
1621–51. Burton, Anat. Mel., I. ii. III. xiv. 122. Out of this fountain [conceit] proceed all those cracks and brags.
1773. Goldsm., Stoops to Conq., II. Wks. (Globe), 657/2. Tony. That’s a damned confounded—crack.
[1892. Still heard from school-boys, though cracker is more common.]
5. Brisk talk, conversation; pl. news. Sc. and north. dial.
1725. Ramsay, Gentle Sheph., II. i. Come sit down And gie’s your cracks. What’s a’ the news in town?
1785. Burns, Holy Fair, xxvi. They’re a’ in famous tune For crack that day.
a. 1810. Tannahill, Poems (1846), 55. Gossips ay maun hae their crack.
1865. Thoreau, Cape Cod, v. 92. Having had another crack with the old man.
1880. Besant & Rice, Seamy Side, xxviii. 243. To have a crack with the boatman on the beach.
II. Breaking; fissure.
6. Thieves’ slang. House-breaking.
1812. J. H. Vaux, Flash Dict., s.v., The crack is the game of house-breaking; a crack is a breaking any house or building for the purpose of plunder.
1838. Dickens, O. Twist, xxii. ‘Here,’ said Toby … ‘Success to the crack!’
7. A fissure or opening formed by the cracking, breaking or bursting of a hard substance.
1530. Palsgr., 210/2. Cracke, breakyng, fente.
1694. Acc. Sev. Late Voy., II. (1711), 30. A Mountain … full of craks all filled up with Snow.
1863. Fr. A. Kemble, Resid. in Georgia, 37. Centipedes … come out of the cracks … of the walls.
b. A break in which the parts still remain in contact; a partial fracture.
1590. Sir J. Smyth, Disc. Weapons, 21. In case their peeces by overcharging … or crackes, or rifts, doo breake.
1665. Hooke, Microgr., 43. I have very often been able to make a crack or flaw, in some convenient pieces of Glass, to appear and disappear at pleasure.
1758. Handmaid to Arts (1764), II. 347. The surface will appear covered with … a net-work of an infinite number of cracks.
1854. Ronalds & Richardson, Chem. Technol. (ed. 2), I. 86. The most porous pieces [of charcoal], and such as are full of cracks.
Mod. A crack in the bell so minute as to be with difficulty distinguished.
8. Of things immaterial: A flaw, deficiency, failing, unsoundness.
1570. Dee, Math. Pref., 46. Such, as so vse me, will finde a fowle Cracke in their Credite.
1588. Shaks., L. L. L., V. ii. 415. My loue to thee is sound, sans cracke or flaw. Ibid. (1611), Wint. T. I. ii. 322. I cannot Beleeve this Crack to be in my dread Mistresse.
1862. Burton, Bk. Hunter (1863), 7. The man who has no defect or crack in his character.
9. The breaking of the voice; cracked or broken condition of voice.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., IV. ii. 236. Though now our voyces, Have got the mannish cracke.
10. A flaw of the brain; a craze, unsoundness of mind.
1601. ? Marston, Pasquil & Kath., III. 9. Here they come reeling … hauing a cracke in their heads.
1631. T. Powell, Tom All Trades, 143. A man most subject to the most wonderfull Crack.
1710. Steele, Tatler, No. 178, ¶ 2. The Upholsterer, whose Crack towards Politicks I have heretofore mention’d.
1891. Month, LXXII. 494. The crack in Laurence Oliphant’s mind was growing wider.
III. Transferred and doubtfully derived senses.
† 11. A lively lad; a ‘rogue’ (playfully), a wag.
[Conjectured by some to be short for crack-hemp, crack-halter, crack-rope, used playfully. Cf. also mod. Icel. krakki ‘urchin.’]
1597. Shaks., 2 Hen. IV., III. ii. 34. When hee was a Crack, not thus high. Ibid. (1607), Cor., I. iii. 74. Val. Tis a Noble childe. Virg. A Cracke Madam.
1599. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Rev., II. i. Enter Cupid and Mercury, disguised as Pages. Mer. … Since we are turn’d cracks, let’s study to be like cracks; practise their language and behaviours.
1615. Heywood, Four Prentises, Wks. 1874, II. 253. It is a rogue, a wag … A notable dissembling lad, a Cracke.
1649. W. M., Wand. Jew (1857), 44. Who is it, Joculo? A melancholy Hee-cat (sir) said the cracke, a wilde man.
1673. R. Head, Canting Acad., 76. An arch Crack … had observed what counterfeit Rogues the major part of these were.
† 12. [from 4] A boaster, braggart, liar. Obs.
c. 1600. Day, Begg. Bednall Gr. (1659), F. If I snip not off their purses then call me crack.
1681. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 405. A crack or boasting fellow, gloriosus.
13. [from 5] One full of conversation. Sc.
1827. Scott, Jrnl. (1890), I. 349. A bauld crack that auld papist body. Ibid. (1829), Antiq., Advt., To be a gude crack, that is, to possess talents for conversation.
† 14. [? from 8] A woman of broken reputation; a wench, a prostitute. Obs.
1676. D’Urfey, Mad. Fickle, V. ii. He that you quarrel’d with about your Crack there.
1706. Collier, Refl. Ridic., 379. Her Beauty, Wealth and Birth, could not secure her from being consider’d as a Crack.
1715. Vanbrugh, Country Ho., II. v. My Sister was with me, and it seems he took her for a Crack.
1719. D’Urfey, Pills, V. 27. Cracks that Coach it now.
1785. Grose, Dict. Vulgar T., Crack, a whore.
† 15. [from 10] A crack-brain, a crazy fellow.
a. 1701. Sedley, Grumbler, II. Is not that the Crack you turn’d away yesterday?
1711. Addison, Spect., No. 251, ¶ 2. I cannot get the Parliament to listen to me, who look upon me, forsooth, as a Crack, and a Projector.
16. That which is the subject of boast or eulogy; that which is ‘cracked up’; a horse, player, ship, regiment, etc., of superior excellence: see CRACK a.
1637. Shirley, Hyde Park, IV. iii. 1st Gent. What dost think, Jockey? 2nd Gent. The crack o’ the field’s against you.
1673. Dryden, Marr. à la Mode, V. i. (1684), 59. He … was all for the crack of the field.
1825. C. M. Westmacott, English Spy, 255 (Farmer). Most noble cracks, and worthy cousin trumps.
1843. (title) Cracks of the Day [with engravings of celebrated race-horses].
1868. Daily Tel., 14 April, 6/1. They were the ‘cracks’ of the regulars, as the Scottish and the London were the ‘cracks’ of the volunteers.
1881. Daily News, 9 July, 2/5. (Cricket) When the Harrow crack had made 90, he was badly missed at mid-off.
1886. Blackw. Mag., Aug., 227/2. Our leading counsel—we had engaged a couple of cracks—began to state our case.
17. [from the vb. 11] Thieves’ slang. A burglar; = CRACKSMAN.
1749. Goadby, Life Bampfylde-Moore Carew (Farmer). No strange Abram, ruffler crack.
1857. Punch, 31 Jan., 49/2. (Slang Song) The High-toby, mob, crack and screeve model-school.
18. slang. Dry wood (from its sound in breaking, or burning). (Cf. CRACKMANS.)
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 328/2. The next process is to look for some crack (some dry wood to light a fire).
